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OUTLINES 



OF A NEW SYSTEM OP 



PHYSIOGNOMY. 



ILLUSTRATED BY NUMEROUS ENGRAVINGS, 



INDICATING THE 



LOGATION OF THE SIGNS OF THE DIFFERENT MENTAL FACULTIES. 



BY J. W. REDFIELD, M. D. 



" To him who in the love of Nature holds 
Communion with her visible forms, she speaks 
A various language ;" Bryant. 




EEDFIELD, 

110 ANl> 112 NASSAU STREET, NEW YORK. 
1853. 

* 



t> 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1848, 

By J. S. EBDFIELD, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, in and for the 

Southern District of New York 



IREOTYPED BY C. C. SAVAGK, 
13 Chambers Street, N. Y. 



PREFACE 



Little or nothing has been known of Physiognomy by either 
the ancients or moderns, except that such a science existed 
somewhere among the arcana of Nature. Even the faith in its 
existence has decreased in modern times, owing partly, no doubt, 
to the vain endeavors that have been made to discover it. All 
the systems of former times have come to be regarded as " fan- 
ciful arts" rather than as natural sciences, and this conclusion is 
undoubtedly just. The Sophists taught the correspondence be- 
tween the internal character and the external developments, 
without being able to demonstrate it ; and the name " sophist" 
has become synonomous with vain reasoner. Aristotle, one of 
this sect of philosophers, made correct observations on the re- 
semblance between certain men and animals, but he did not 
thereby discover the resemblance in character which is indicated 
by the resemblance in external appearance. Lavater, fired by 
an intuitive perception of the characters of men in the features 
and expressions of their faces, with characteristic enthusiasm 
pursued his physiognomical observations, believing that they 
might some day be " improved into a science." His passion 
was that of an admirer — one whose admiration for truth never 
ceases, though he be a thousand times disappointed in the woo- 



PREFACE. 



ing of it. His delineations are mostly too general to give the 
reader any knowledge of character by the face ; and in those 
instances in which he attaches a particular trait of character to 
a particular sign in the physiognomy, the observations are sel- 
dom confirmed by experience. 

The faith which mankind will have in Physiognomy will not 
henceforth depend merely on an intuitive perception of its truth, 
but will be based on understanding. The reception or rejec- 
tion of this science, or the belief or disbelief in its existence, 
will not turn upon the presumed correctness of popular judg- 
ments in respect to what are good countenances and what are 
bad ones. The modern masters of painting and sculpture, no 
more than their disciples, are to be considered infallible in their 
ideas of character in the forms and features which they give to 
their imaginary beings ; for, though they may be correct in the 
general outline of their figures, they needed a deeper insight 
into Nature in order to portray character in the features and 
expressions of the face. We can well believe that M. Sturtz 
spoke truth when he declared to Lavater that he " once hap- 
pened to see a criminal condemned to the wheel, who, with 
satanic wickedness, had murdered his benefactor, and who yet 
had the benevolent and open countenance of an angel of Gui- 
do ;" but we do not believe that such a person had the counte- 
nance of an angel of heaven. It might be said with equal truth 
that the face of an " Ecce Homo," as it is represented in ninety- 
nine cases out of a hundred, might be found among guilty crim- 
inals, for there is scarcely a representation of the Divine man 
that does not show a face more barren of social, moral, and reli- 
gious feelings, than is the case with the majority of mankind. 

We would not give the reader the impression that we claim 
to have discovered the whole of Physiognomy, or that we have 



PREFACE. 



not made' some observations that will need correcting. In the 
following pages he will read but a brief outline of the subject so 
far as relates to the face ; and the face, though the chief index 
of character, is by no means the only one. The discoveries of 
Gall were physiognomical, and so he regarded them ; and these 
have opened the door to the temple of Nature, so that others 
however humble, may enter and explore its mysteries. Who 
can enter without a feeling of awe and reverence, of sacred still- 
ness, and of the presence of the Supreme Being ! or without 
the breathing of a desire that he may distinguish the true from 
the false, and that he may obey the one and reject the other? 

It is thought by many, and perhaps by the majority of per- 
sons, that Physiognomy and Phrenology, as commonly under- 
stood, must be in conflict with each other, and that if one rises, 
the other falls. This idea is probably in consequence of the 
common and natural impression that the mind moulds the fea- 
tures, and expresses itself through the medium of the face; and 
that no one, before the discoveries of Gall, could have thought 
of inspecting the skulls of people for the purpose of finding out 
their characters. The idea of antagonism between the skull 
and face has probably arisen also from the total eclipse which 
Physiognomy suffered when Phrenology came into existence ; 
but as — 



■■" the eclipsed sun 
By mortals is most gazed upon," 

the greater luminary was for a while obscured by the lesser, that 
the eye of the mind might gaze upon it without injury, and thus 
make the grand discovery of a universal science at the same 
moment that the attention of thousands was directed to it. To 
speak without metaphor, we believe that the discovery of signs 
of character in the skull was necessary to the finding out of those 



PREFACE. 



in the face, and every person may see the beautiful harmony 
between the two. For example : in the face, the signs of the 
different faculties of love are in the chin ; and according to Gall, 
the strength of love is in proportion to the development of the 
cerebellum, which is exactly opposite the facial sign, and which 
is separated from the cerebrum as the lower jaw is separate from 
the upper. The faculties of the love of food of different kinds 
are indicated in the small and large molar and wisdom teeth, in 
the upper and under jaw ; and, according to Phrenology, the 
sign of alimentiveness is just over the joint where the upper and 
lower jaws are united. But the signs in the face are in all in- 
stances the most sure and exact, besides being more open to 
observation. These hints are given as an illustration of the har- 
mony which exists between the contour of the head and the 
features and expressions of the face, a relation which we may 
hope to explain hereafter. 
New York, December, 1848. 



OUTLINES 



OF DISCOVERIES IN 



PHYSIOGNOMY 



LETTER I. 

Student's Chamber, Sept. 12, 1848. 
My Dear B, : 

The knowledge of signs of character in the face is what is 
generally understood by Physiognomy ; and as an artist first 
gives a pencil-sketch of the portrait he intends to produce, so we 
will sketch physiognomy, and, if you choose, leave it in our 
portfolio till such time as we shall be able to finish the picture. 
In looking at the human face, the feature that most strikes us, as 
being most prominent and most indicative of character, is the 
nose. In this organ we can not fail to see both force of charac- 
ter and sagacity if the nose be prominent, or the opposite of these 
if the nose be weak or small : and the reason of this is that the 
faculties belonging particularly to force of character and sagacity 
have their signs in the nose. There are three faculties of com- 
bativeness — Self-Defence, Relative-Defence, and Attack, It is 
evident that these are not a single faculty ; that, for example, the 
disposition to defend oneself is different from the disposition to 
attack others, and that relative-defence, or the disposition to de- 
fend one's friends, family, neighbors, &c, is different from either. 
The faculty of Self-Defence is indicated in the ridge of the nose 



8 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




just above the tip, at the place pointed out in this figure. The 
sign here is represented 
of extraordinary size, 
and would indicate a 
very great deal of the 
faculty, which manifests 
itself in the disposition 
to stand always upon the 
defensive — to consider 
oneself attacked, and therefore to oppose, to contradict, to be 
always on the opposite side. One who has a predominance of 
this faculty, and thus a large sign of it in the nose, will stand his 
ground when assaulted ; is opposed to being touched or leaned 
upon ; is easily provoked, and has a stronger dislike to interfe- 
rence than people in general. He seems to be affected in every 
part of his system with that painful sore called noli me tangere. 
So we see that though " self-defence is the first law of Nature," 
too much of it is not good. This faculty must be an instinct com- 
mon to man and animals, and we may see the sign of it devel- 
oped in the brute creation in proportion to their manifestation of 
it. In the horse it is large, particularly in the Canadian pony, 
who feels himself attacked or intruded upon when a person 
comes near him, or points the finger at him. By his leering, 
throwing about his head and attempting to bite, and striking 
with his hoof, he says to us, " Keep your distance ; don't touch 
me !'" Such a horse has the sign of self-defence large, as in this 
figure. The instinct and 
sign of self-defence are lar- 
gest of all in the rhinoceros, 
which has a horn growing 
out at this part of the nose, 
provided by Nature for the 
express purpose of self-de- 
fence. 

The faculty of Relative-Defence, or the disposition to defend 
others, is indicated in the ridge of the nose at its middle part, 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



9 




just above the sign of self-defence, as shown in this outline. 
Such a person likes to espouse the cause of others, and to be 
their champion when attacked. He will 
defend his country, his fireside and home, 
and will let the blow fall upon himself 
rather than on his wife and children or on 
his friend. As one with large self-defence 
is easily provoked by anything like en- 
croachment upon his individual rights, so 
one with large relative-defence is easily 
irritated by anything like encroachment upon the rights of oth- 
ers, particularly of children and of the simple and weak portions 
of the human family, who can not well defend themselves. Rel- 
ative-defence is a very patriotic feeling, and the sign of it should 
therefore be large in the Yankee character, as maybe commonly 
seen in the American profile. To illustrate the sign of this fac- 
ulty in the lower animals, we will again take the horse. A prom- 
inence of the middle part of the ridge of the nose, as in this 
figure, indicates a great deal of 
irritability, a disposition to fret 
and chafe in the harness; and 
if the animal have a colt, she 
will show a solicitude to defend 
it from danger proportional to 
the sign of the faculty. The ac- 
tion of this faculty is toward its 
sign, and throws the head in the 
position indicated above. It is very strong in the camel, in 
which the large sign in the nose and the position of the head 
agree. 

The faculty of Attack is indicated in the upper part of the 
ridge of the nose, just above the sign of relative-defence, as seen 
in the following figure. A pugnacious individual — one who is 
in the habit of "picking quarrels," as it is said — has this sign 
large. Such a person is provoking and vexatious, particularly 
to those who have large self-defence and relative-defence. He 




10 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




does not allow others to remain quiet in their persons or opin- 
ions. If he be a vulgar, gross man, he at- 
tacks their persons ; if an intellectual, re- 
fined man, he attacks their opinions, and 
is a. controversialist. The sign may be 
seen largely developed in quarrelsome per- 
sons, who exercise the faculty in both stri- 
king and kicking ; and is large also in the 
kicking horse, as we see in the engra^ng 
below. Such horses are called Roman-nosed (and the Romans, 
by-the-by, had the combative faculties very large, particularly 
attack, as shown in their aggressions, and as indicated in the 
form of their noses). In the Irish face we see either the sign of 
attack, or the sign of self-de- 
fence, or the signs of both, large- 
ly developed, with less relative- 
defence. In the English face 
we see a large sign of attack ; in 
the French, a large sign of rela- 
tive-defence : and these mark the 
combative Irishman, the bully- 
ing Englishman, and the irritable 
Frenchman. 

These faculties belong to force of character ; and to a person 
with any physiognomical perception they give that appearance to 
the nose. The aquiline nose being an arch, in which is the 
greatest strength, such a nose is strong, even physically speak- 
ing. 

Acquisitiveness is another faculty belonging to force of charac- 
ter, inasmuch as it is one of the strongest passions, exerting a 
predominant influence on mankind, and carrying them through 
the greatest difficulties. This faculty is indicated by the breadth 
of the nose just above the wing of the nostril, in the bony part. 
The sign, if large, gives a broad arch, as we see in the face of 
the negro, and in that of the Jew. The following engraving may 
represent a thief — one who exercises acquisitiveness unlawfully. 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



11 




Persons who steal in a lawful manner have also the sign of this 
faculty large. Of the lower animals, 
cows are remarkable for a thievish dis- 
position, and those which have a par- 
ticular passion this way may be known 
by the large development of the sign of 
acquisitiveness, or the breadth of the 
nose just above the wing of the nostril. 

The faculty of Economy is the dispo- 
sition in man to keep what he gets ; whereas, the faculty of Ac- 
quisitiveness is the disposition to get what he can. The sign of 
the former is the thickness of the nose forward of Acquisitive- 
ness; also the fulness under the chin — making, when large, 
what is called the double chin, as in this figure of " Poor Rich- 
ird," who was remarkable, alike for his 
economy and his economical sayings. 
This faculty and its sign maybe ob- 
served great or deficient in the lower 
animals as well as in man. The cow, 
for example, is very full under the chin, 
and is careful to pick up every straw 
that is thrown out with the dirt. The j 
horse, on the contrary, is very hollow 
under the chin, indicating a great deficiency of the faculty of 
economy ; and so far from gathering up the fragments, he draws 
great quantities of hay under his feet, and is very wasteful. Men, 
as a general rule, are more remarkable for the faculty and sign 
of acquisitiveness ; women, as a general rule, more remarkable 
for the faculty and sign of economy : but the most excessive cases 
of economy as well as of acquisitiveness are among men. 

It was said that in the nose are seen both sagacity and force of 
character. The impression of sagacity is obtained mostly from 
the end of the nose ; and the reason is that Inquisitiveness, Se- 
cretiveness, and Suspicion, are indicated there, besides certain 
intellectual faculties. The faculty of Inquisitiveness is indicated 
in the horizontal length of the nose, from the lip forward, the 




12 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




end being in many cases turned slightly upward, as seen in this 
outline. A person with this sign large is very inquisitive, asks 
a great many questions, and takes means to 
draw out the secrets of others. The faculty 
and its sign are great in thief-detectors, who 
are engaged in bringing to light deeds of 
darkness, and finding things which have been 
stolen and secreted. The hog has the sign 
of this faculty large, the nose being projected 
horizontally and turned up in a rim ; and he 
exercises the faculty almost constantly, his food being concealed 
in the ground where most other animals have not the instinct for 
finding it. This faculty gives a natural disposition to dig in the 
earth in search of food or treasures, and, in connexion with ac- 
quisitiveness, forms a character sordid and covetous. In the 
Irish, who have lived so long upon a certain root, and who are 
the most celebrated dirt-diggers in the world, the sign of inquisi- 
tiveness is very large, unaccompanied with more than ordinary 
acquisitiveness. 

The faculty of Secretiveness is the opposite of Inquisitiveness, 
inasmuch as it attempts to conceal from the prying curiosity of 
the latter. It is indicated in the breadth or expansion of the 
nostril, as represented in this cut. If this is thought to resemble 
very much a Chinese, it will be remembered 
that the "Celestials" are the most remarkable 
people in the world for secretiveness ; for ma- 
ny centuries not allowing strangers to enter 
their gates, carefully concealing the knowledge 
of their arts and sciences, and proverbially se- 
cretive whenever travellers make inquiries of 
them. The negroes have also this faculty and 
its sign very large. It is the disposition to hide either oneself or 
one's property, and, in connexion with acquisitiveness, forms a 
miserly character — one which loves to hide money in a wall or 
bury it in the ground, where those with strong inquisitiveness 
are most likely to search for it. The fox may be cited as an 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



13 



example of the large sign of this faculty, indicating a strong 
power of concealment, which has so close a connexion with 
cunning as to cause phrenologists to confound it with the latter 
faculty. 

The faculty of Suspicion is indicated in the length of the nose 
from the root downward, at a right angle with the sign of inquis- 
itiveness, as we see in the accompanying engraving. When a 
person touches the end of 
his nose in this manner, he 
points out the sign of suspi- 
cion, without being aware 
that he is a physiognomist. 
Such a nose indicates a per- 
son of quick apprehension, , 
one too inclined to suspect 
the motives and intentions of 
others, and too apprehensive 
of dangers and difficulties. 
But in its proper degree, this faculty may be more appropriately 
called Consciousness ; and by it a person is not only conscious of 
the ruling desires and intentions of his own mind, but of those of 
others. The French and the Italians have the sign of this faculty 
larger than the English and Scotch, and are more remarkable for the 
trait of character. The Irish, too, are very suspicious, apprehend- 
ing dangers where there are none, at the same time that they are 
quick to anticipate the thoughts and wishes of others. It is ea- 
sily seen that this faculty enables a person to judge well of char- 
acter, except when morbidly active. Even in some of the lower 
animals it gives a wonderful insight into character, as in the crow, 
the raven, the fox, the dog, the elephant, and many others, which 
have the sign of suspicion or consciousness very large. 




H 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



LETTER II. 



Doubtless you will perceive that there is something more 
indicated in this grand feature, the nose, than force of character 
and sagacity. Several of the higher intellectual faculties have 
their signs there, and this is felt and perceived by the most cas- 
ual observer of faces. Nothing was more common for Lavater, 
in his " Fragments," as he very modestly calls his physiognomi- 
cal observations, than to speak of certain noses as indicating 
sound and solid judgment, or as being inseparable from good 
sense ; and of certain other noses as indicating weakness and 
deficiency of the reasoning powers. This shows that that great 
man had an intuitive perception of character, although he was 
not in general able to point out the signs on which his judgment 
was founded. 

In the septum, or ridge of the nose between the nostrils, is 
indicated the power of discovering, analyzing, and combining. 
The faculty of Discovery is indicated in the length of the fore 
part of the septum, as in this outline. A large sign of this fac- 
ulty shows the ability to invent and dis- 
cover, and a partiality for things new. 
The person who has it thinks for him- 
self more than one who has it not, and 
his originality will accord with the na- 
ture of his other strong faculties and the 
general cast of his mind. With some, 
the power of discovery will lead to in- 
ventions in the arts ; with others, to discoveries in science ; with 
others, to new ideas in theology ; with others, to originality in 
common business matters ; with others, to finding things that are 
lost ; with others, to expeditions of exploration and discovery ; 
and, with others, to originality in everything. 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



15 




Objects to be discovered have to be separated from other ob- 
jects, or, in other words, a whole has to be divided into its ele- 
ments simultaneously with the discovery of those elements. The 
faculty of Analysis is that which separates, and is indicated in 
the length of the most posterior part of the septum of the nose 
under the lip, causing a prominence of the top of the lip, as rep- 
resented in this figure. This faculty with its sign is large in 
chemists and in all persons who show 
the ability to find out the constituents of 
things in either mental or physical sci- 
ence. The length of the part of the 
septum indicating the faculty of analysis 
may be accurately observed by pressing 
the finger against it, and seeing how far 
it descends. This faculty gives great 
penetration into the interior of things ; 
and an individual who has it large, makes distinctions, and per- 
ceives and reasons much more minutely, than one who has but 
little of it. Such a person will be remarkable for the expansion 
and extension of every idea, and will be wearisome, if not in 
comprehensible, to the generality of mankind. Nevertheless, the 
universe is much larger to him than to other people ; and were 
he limited to what would seem to others a single thing, he would 
not be wanting in objects of interest. 

The faculty of Combination is indicated in the length of the 
middle of the septum of the nose, as represented in this figure. 
The sign of this faculty is seen to be 
between the signs of Discovery and 
Analysis, and this indicates the natural 
relation of Combination to the other two 
faculties. A person with this sign large 
is capable of generalizing ; whereas, a 
person who has it small, is deficient in 
this power. It may be observed, also, 
that such a person has a facility in con- 
necting words as well as ideas, so that he has the ability to dis- 




16 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



course at length, and forms longer sentences than one who is 
deficient in the sign of the faculty. If he be deficient in ideas, 
as he is likely to be if he be wanting in analysis and discovery 
or the talent of originality, he will abound in repetitions, and 
help himself out by the use of and-so-forths — so unwilling is he 
to recognise periods in his discourse, or to stop speaking. But 
in such a face as that represented by the second figure on the 
preceding page, there is not indicated any want of ideas ; and 
the faculty of combination would be exercised in combining 
ideas more than words, and would manifest itself in generalizing 
facts, a talent so useful to the scientific observer. 

The breadth of the back part of the septum of the nose in- 
dicates the faculty of Metaphor. By placing the individual 
above us, we show the sign, as in this illustration. A person 
with this sign large, makes great use of 
metaphors by way of illustrating and enfor- 
cing his ideas, abounds in figures and em- 
blems, sees images wherever they are to be 
found, and, other things being equal, is a 
beautiful writer. One in whom the septum 
| of the nose is a mere partition, as it is in the 
lower animals, is very deficient in the fac- 
ulty of Metaphor, and seldom or never uses a figure of speech, 
but communicates his ideas by themselves, in a commonplace 
manner, without beauty or ornament. 

The length downward of the wing 
of the nostril, next to the sign of Dis- 
covery, as represented in this cut, in- 
dicates the faculty of Example, or the 
ability to teach, to find illustrations, to 
exemplify. This faculty is strong in 
the female character, and not only fits 
her to instruct by illustrating every 
principle and precept which she in- 
culcates, but disposes her to teach by example in her own per- 
son. It is large in artists, whose business it is to illustrate sub- 





IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



17 




jects ; and large also in teachers, missionaries, and good pastors, 
who deal more in practical matters and realities than in abstrac- 
tions, and teach by example as well as precept. 

The sign of the faculty of Imitation is the descent of the wing 
of the nostril next to the face, just back of the sign of Example, 
as shown in this figure. One who has this sign large, learns 
well, makes the opinions and practices 
of others natural to himself, and is less 
original than one who has less imita- 
tion and a larger sign of example. He 
will exercise imitation in subserviency 
to his predominant disposition and his 
stronger intellectual faculties. The 
sign of this faculty'is larger in children, 
as a general rule, than in adults, the faculty of example being 
comparatively larger in the latter ; and it may be observed that 
those children who are most remarkable for imitating older peo- 
ple have most of the sign of imitation, while those parents who 
are most in the habit of showing their children how to behave 
like old people have a large sign of example. 

The faculty of Correspondence is indicated in two lateral prom- 
inences at the end of the nose, as shown in this figure. This 
sign, when large, makes the nose appear 
as if it were divided at the end into lateral 
halves, and indicates a person who has a 
strong perception of the fitness and appro- 
priateness of things, or of the correspon- 
dence of one thing with another— a per- 
son who has a quick sense of propriety in 
manners, dress, &c, and who conforms to 
that sense, at the same time that he detects 
and criticises the want of it in others. Such 
a person will, from the action of this fac- 
ulty, dress himself becomingly, simply, and decently, avoiding 
ribands, jewelry, flounces, and shining ornaments ; while a per- 
son with but little of the faculty and its sign, will show a want of 
2 




18 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

correspondence in the different parts and colors of his dress, and 
in its appropriateness to the character and season. The sign of 
the faculty is larger, as a general rule, in men than in women, 
and this indicates the difference in the sexes in respect to the 
faculty itself. Correspondence is the grand principle in Physi- 
ognomy ; and one who has the sign of correspondence large, has 
a great facility in studying that science. 

The faculty of Comparison is indicated by the widening of 
the anterior part of the wing of the nose where it joins with the 
fore part of the septum of the nostril, as exhibited in this figure. 
It also causes a shortening of the anterior 
part of the orifice. One who has this 
sign large, possesses grea; power of com- 
paring things, or of estimating their rela- 
tive forms and qualities. He is a good 
judge of fabrics, as to their comparative 
fineness and the quality of their texture, 
and likes to put things side by side, that 
others as well as himself may " look at 
this and then at that." He is more inclined than people in gen- 
eral to compare himself with others, either to his own disadvan- 
tage or theirs ; and as objects to be compared have to be asso- 
ciated, he attends to a great many things at once, or at least talks 
of a great many, and is likely to be what is called " a Jack of 
all trades and a master of none." This faculty is more appro- 
priate to the character and sphere of woman than of man, and 
she has, as a general rule, more of the sign and manifestation 
of it. 

The faculty of Analogy is indicated by the curving of the 
wing of the nostril upon the septum, causing the posterior part 
of the opening to be somewhat shortened. The sign of com- 
parison, last mentioned, causes a shortening of the anterior part 
of the orifice. A large sign of analogy, as in the following figure, 
indicates a talent for reading character in the face and other ex- 
ternal signs. The reason of this is, that the relation of the mind 
to the body is that of analogy ; and the knowledge of the relation 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



19 




of the mind to the body, or the science of Physiognomy, is ob- 
tained principally through means of the exercise of this faculty. 
Mind can not be compared with matter, 
and has no correspondence or resem- 
blance to it ; and yet, though entirely 
different, it is not to be contrasted with 
the body, there being that perfect un- 
ion between body and mind which for- 
bids contrast* Analogy constitutes the 
relation between the one and the other, 
and hence the body may be called an 

index of the mind ; and we may speak of a large mind, of a beau- 
tiful mind, of a well-balanced mind, &c, as we speak of a large, 
beautiful, well-balanced body. Although the faculty of analogy 
is exercised as the chief faculty in studying the science of Physi- 
ognomy, it enables a person to perceive character intuitively, par- 
ticularly if it be connected with large suspicion, discovery, and 
analysis. It is generally stronger in women than in men ; and 
the faculty of comparison being also stronger in the former than 
in the latter, the opening of the nostril is shorter in the female 
nose than in the male. In Shakspere, Cervantes, Lavater, and 
other good judges of human nature, the sign of analogy is very 
large. 

The height of the upward curve of the wing of the nostril in- 
dicates the faculty of Reasoning 
a Priori^ or from cause to effect. 
The sign is seen to be large in 
this profile of Lavater. The de- 
ficiency of this faculty and its sign 
is to be observed in those who 
incline to think of the mind as if 
it were a development from the 
body and external circumstances ; 
— and who thus in studying the 
mind, proceed from effects to cau- 
ses, and fail to discover truth. One who has a large sign of this 




20 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



faculty regards the mind of chief importance, and as acting upon 
the body and manifesting itself in and through material organs. 
It is very easy for such a person to see that everything of the body 
is an index of something prior in the mind ; and although he may 
not discover the exact science of Physiognomy, he will be a firm 
if not an enthusiastic believer in the existence of such a science. 
The followers of the Baconian method in mental philosophy could 
never gain much knowledge ; and those who study the mind ab- 
stractly, and not in its relation to and action upon the body, have 
been as unsuccessful as the others. But Gall, Lavater, and many 
of the ancient philosophers, as Aristotle and Theophrastus, pursued 
an opposite method in relation to the mind, and studied character 
in the features and expressions of the face, the form and size of 
the head, and other external developments. The sign of this 
faculty is larger in the ancient philosophers, who excelled in moral 
and intellectual science, and less in the modern philosophers, who 
excel in physical science. The latter have more of the sign of 
the faculty which reasons a posteriori, or from effects to causes, 
as will be seen elsewhere. 

In a nose like that of the preceding profile, we see force of 
character, sagacity, and nearly all that a nose is capable of ex- 
pressing of superior intelligence, notwithstanding the retreating 
of the forehead. By the side of 
such a nose, a largely-developed 
forehead shows to a very poor 
advantage in an intellectual point 
of view, and in respect also to that 
force and sagacity which should 
accompany intelligence, as we 
see by comparing this figure with 
that. There is hardly any per- 
son to be found so deficient in a 
talent for physiognomy, unless it 
be one with such a nose as this, 
as not to perceive that the grand 
fault of this face is the nose, and that the fault in the nose is a 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 21 

deficiency in most of those faculties the signs of which have been 
pointed out. You will remember, however, that the signs of 
character in the face do not contradict the discoveries of Gall. 
They explain the exceptions ; and it is most true that if a fine 
development of the intellectual lobe of the brain accompanies 
large signs of intellect in the nose, there is more intelligence in 
dicated than if the case is otherwise. The face indicates the 
voluntarij action of the mental faculties ; the brain indicates their 
endurance, without which they could not sustain long-continued 
exercise. 



22 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



LETTER III 



That the chin is a very expressive feature of the face, no 
one doubts. The question is, what does it express ? If we in- 
terrogate Nature, she will answer truly ; for he who inquires at 
her temple — not for the purpose of eliciting her secrets, but from 
the desire of good — consults an oracle that can not utter false- 
hood. The first general observation which we make respecting 
the chin is, that in its horizontal projection, anteriorly and later- 
ally, it is the index of Love. On this primary affection which 
we call Love are founded all the domestic and social affections, 
as on the conjugal relation are based all the domestic and social 
relations. Nothing can be more self-evident, therefore, than that 
conjugal love, or Love, as we will briefly call it, is of primary 
importance, and that the signs of the faculties which constitute 
it must be particularly interesting. The anterior projection of 
the centre of the chin, under the first incisor teeth, as pointed out 
in this figure, indicates the faculty of Congeniality. This is gen- 
erally larger in woman than 
in man. It gives a preference 
for a conjugal partner of like 
temperament with one's own 
— with black eyes and hair, 
dark complexion, &c, if that 
be one's own color and com- 
plexion ; and so with respect 
to every other quality of tem- 
perament. This explains what we mean by the word congeni- 
ality : it is an affinity for something like and perfectly adapted, 
and thus an affinity between minds of the same quality and be- 
tween that which indicates it, viz., temperaments of the same quality. 
It relates singly to the fact that husband and wife are " twain one 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



23 



flesh/' for the two parts of any one thing are of the same sub- 
stance, quality, and texture. If the husband is to acknowledge 
the wife as " bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh," she can not 
materially differ with him in temperament ; and this for the same 
reason that it would be absurd to suppose one side of a man to 
be bilious and the other nervous, one half of his face fair and 
the other copper-colored. The beau ideal of one who has a 
large sign of congeniality is a person with a temperament like 
one's own. 

The anterior projection of the chin next to the sign of conge- 
niality indicates the faculty of Desire to be Loved. This is lar- 
gest in man, and when large gives a prominence on each side 
of the centre, as pointed out in this figure. It gives by itself a 
feminine appearance to the chin and to the 
rest of the features, but is out of character 
in the female chin — desire to be loved be- 
ing, as a general rule, strongest in man. It 
is hence natural that man should seek the 
love of woman and pay court to her, but 
unnatural that woman should sue for man's 
affection. Much has been said of the ne- 
cessity of woman's love to the happiness 
of man, but not much of the necessity of 
man's love to the happiness of woman. 
The reason is, that man has most of the 
faculty of desire to be loved. It even causes him to forget 
sometimes that his love is also necessary for her happiness. As 
woman has most love, it is appropriate that man should have 
most desire to be loved ; but in judging of its probable gratifica- 
tion in any particular case, it is important that he should know 
how much love there is in her nature ; for if she be incapable of 
much love, and have also his share of desire to be loved, she is 
more or less of a coquette, and, of all persons, least suited to 
make him happy. 

The prominence of the chin next to the sign of desire to be 
loved, and under the second incisor teeth, as pointed out in the 




24 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




following figure, indicates the faculty of Desire to Love. This 
forms the narrow-square chin, and is generally larger in woman 
than in man. The womanly expression of 
face depends very greatly on the faculty of 
love of which this is the sign. One who has 
this sign large wishes to gratify the desire to 
be loved in the other sex, and is inclined to 
bestow love as a favor on those who from 
circumstances, or lack of wealth or of per- 
sonal charms, are not so likely as others to 
be loved. She is disposed to marry some 
humble individual in preference even to her 
equals in birth and fortune. The faculty 
of desire to love is therefore a charitable 
feeling, acting with benevolence and phi- 
lanthropy ; and those who have the sign of it large are very good 
and kind to the poor and unfortunate, and seem to give charities 
in gratitude for the happiness which is conferred on them by the 
inspiration of this faculty. Desire to love is nevertheless one of 
the faculties of conjugal love, and causes an appreciation in the 
wife of those talents and dispositions of mind in which her hus- 
band is superior to herself, and which, in connexion with the fac- 
ulties which are stronger in herself, make one whole and perfect 
man. It relates singly to the fact that husband and wife com- 
bine the elements of no more than one perfect human being, and 
that separately they are but halves, which the desire to love and 
the desire to be loved are to unite, or rather mingle into one. 
The faculty of congeniality, on the other hand, relates singly to 
the fact that in temperament, or in quality of mind and body, 
they who are one are not opposite, but alike. These two facul- 
ties, congeniality and the desire to love, being strongest in wo- 
man, she is generally the first to perceive the true relation of 
husband and wife between another and herself, and is the fittest 
to decide the suit of her lover, a privilege which is generally but 
not always reserved to her. 

The breadth of the fore part of the chin just back of the sign 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



25 




of desire to love, and under the canine teeth, as represented in 
this figure, indicates the faculty of Violent Love. ■ It gives the 
broad-square chin, which belongs to the 
manly face, as the narrow-square chin 
belongs to the womanly face. This fac- 
ulty of love has the character of earnest 
devotion, and when very strong, and 
unaccompanied with great strength of 
intellect, manifests itself in " love-sick- 
ness," desperation, and insanity. It is 
relatively stronger in man than in wo- 
man, his love having generally most of 
earnestness and devotion, and being more frequently expressed 
by sighs and disordered attire, as well as by disordered health 
and derangement of reason. As this faculty regards the loved 
object with devotion and with perfect submission of reason to 
the dictates of love, it becomes a kind of idolatrous worship 
when directed to one who can not and ought not to reciprocate 
it. As it very rarely in the present state of society acts health- 
fully, it is accompanied with morbid feelings, jealousy, distrust, 
subterfuge, flattery, and cunning, of which we have very remark- 
able instances in the insane ; and it should be observed that the 
great majority of lunatics have become such from having fallen 
victims to this passion. In the inmates o/ lunatic asylums, and 
those predisposed to insanity, the sign of violent love is larger 
than in others ; but, of course, strength of mind and the proper 
gratification of the faculty in the conjugal relation act against its 
morbid tendency. It might be more properly called Devotion, 
but as its proper action is so much an exception to the general 
rule, we will for the present call it violent love. 

The signs of the preceding faculties occupy what may be 
properly called the chin. The breadth of the lower jaw under 
the first two or small molar teeth, and next to the sign of violent 
love,' as in the following figure, indicates the faculty of Ardent 
Love. This, with large violent love, gives a roundness to the 
contour of the jaws, and an ardent expression, more frequently 



26 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




accompanied with an ardent, sanguine temperament, than other- 
wise. It is generally larger in woman than in man. The fac- 
ulty manifests itself chiefly in embracing and 
kissing, and is indicated not only by the 
breadth of this part of the chin, but by the 
breadth and fullness of the red part of the 
lips. In all these respects the negro is very 
remarkable, and woman more than man. It 
is hence rather unnatural for men to kiss 
and embrace each other when they meet, 
but exceedingly natural for women to do so. 
In the conjugal relation also the faculty of 
ardent love is strongest in the wife ; and 
this is one reason of the inutility of a beard 
on the female chin, for ardor corresponds to 
and causes warmth, particularly in this part of the face. The 
advantage of suffering Nature to clothe the male chin with a 
beard, an office which she has very kindly undertaken, is there- 
fore obvious, and the use of wrapping the chin from the air in 
very cold weather is easily seen. 

The breadth of the middle part of the lower jaw, under the two 
large molars, indicates Fondness and the Love of Physical Beauty. 
It is very large in this outline of Henry VIII. These faculties, 

when perverted, manifest them- 
selves as wantonness and sensu- 
ality ; but in their legitimate ac- 
tion, the first prompts to innocent 
fondling and caressing, and the 
latter to looks of love which ex- 
press the gratification of the eyes 
in beholding the object beloved. 
The first is strongest in man, and 
is indicated in the breadth of the 
jaw under the first large molar; the latter is strongest in woman, 
and is indicated in the breadth of the jaw under the second large 
molar. These faculties in the marriage relation desire union of 





IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 27 

bodies for its own sake ; but when love of physical beauty is 
strongest in man, and fondness is strongest in woman, they are 
very liable to perversion. In such a case, woman sinks physical 
beauty, which is the manly, into the merely sensual ; and man 
degrades spiritual beauty, which is the feminine, into the merely 
physical. 

The breadth of the lower jaw next to the sign of physical love, 
and under the wisdom tooth, indicates Faithful Love. This fac- 
ulty prompts to the giving of pledges 
and love-tokens, to faithful remem- 
brance, betrothal, and marriage-vows. 
It regards particularly the consumma- 
tion of love in the conjugal relation, MSiW J^^M%\ 
and is the desire to beget children, Wlfl \S-Jr«Pv J) 
which are, as has been very often said, 
the pledges of love in wedlock. The 
conservative of harmony and love in //// ylft^ / / 
marriage is faithful love, a pledge and vow being paramount to 
all other considerations. A person who has the sign of this fac- 
ulty large will not feel drawn away from his married partner by 
another more congenial or better adapted to him, or who might 
seem to love him more. The desire to be loved being the chief 
incentive to love-making and unfaithfulness, and being stronger 
in man than in woman, the faculty of faithful love is very neces- 
sary to counterbalance it, and is naturally stronger in man than 
in woman. Hence Christian marriage recognises the propriety 
of the ring, as the sign of betrothal and of faithful love, being 
given by the man to the woman. This fact should render un- 
faithfulness in the husband more odious than unfaithfulness in 
the wife. 

The particular faculties of love which are generally strongest 
in man cause a growth of hair on the chin. These are, as we 
have seen, Desire to be Loved, Violent Love, Fond Love, and 
Faithful Love ; and as a beard on the female chin is unusual, its 
existence there indicates an unusual degree of one or more of 
these faculties. The action of love on the chin is also fre- 



28 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



quently shown in the motion and position of the head, congeni- 
ality and desire to love throwing the chin forward, as exhibited 
in the first of the following engravings ; — and desire to be 
loved and violent love throwing the chin sidewise, as shown in 
the second representation. It is nature, too, which sometimes 
prompts a rude young 
man to take an attrac- 
tive young lady by the 
chin, an act which he 
feels no temptation or 
desire to indulge in tow- 
ard an individual of his 
own sex. 
There are other signs 
of character in the chin, which will be spoken of in the next 
letter. 





IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



29 



LETTER IV. 



The faculties of Love, the signs of which were given in the 
last letter, approach very much in their character to what may 
be called Will. Strong desire belongs to love more than to any 
other of the faculties, and desire is so much like will, that some 
persons have not regarded the distinction. Not desire, but Pur- 
pose, is characteristic of the will. We have seen that the strong 
est desires or faculties of love act upon the chin horizontally 
causing breadth and anterior projection. The faculties of will 
(for there are more than one) act upon the chin perpendicularly, 
causing length downward. One can scarcely fail to see, when 
it is suggested to him, that Strength of Purpose is expressed in 
the lower jaw, and that it is expressed in the downward aspect. 
Observe, for example, the difference in this respect between 
these two faces. It is not difficult to see in which of these faces 
strength of purpose is ex- 
pressed., and in which are 
expressed a fire and pas- 
sion that are expended in 
the appearance of great 
undertakings. 

But these general ex- w 
pressions are the result of ^V^ 
particular signs. The faculty of Engrossment, or the power of 
engaging the mind in a particular business or object of sense, so 
that thoughts and fancies may not lead the mind astray, is indi- 
cated by the length of the chin downward, under the sign of 
Congeniality, as represented in the following outline. A person 
with such a physiognomy as this, has a material cast of mind, 
and an infidel tendency, owing to his great engrossment in ma- 
terial things. He is well calculated to pursue the merely phys- 
ical sciences, and to give a physical reason for every mental 





30 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




phenomenon that may he forced upon his attention. The sign 
of this faculty may be observed large in 
most anatomists, physiologists, and sur- 
geons, and larger as a general rule in the 
gross and sensual than in the refined and 
virtuous. The power of engrossment is, 
nevertheless, a very important faculty of 
the will, and very necessary to counter- 
balance — 

The faculty of Abstraction, indicated by 
the length of the chin downward, under the two small molar 
teeth, as pointed out in this figure. The power of abstracting 
the mind, or of removing it from ex- 
ternal objects, so that they have not 
the power to distract the attention, 
is exactly the opposite of engross- 
ment. One who has a large sign of 
abstraction can give his attention to 
anything requiring thought and re- 
flection, without being much dis- 
turbed by company, sounds, and oth- 
er things which strike the external 
senses. He is very much inclined 
to meditation, abstract ideas, and phi- 
losophical principles (rather than to ocular demonstrations), to the 
indulgence of fancy and imagination, and to absent-mindedness, 
and may become visionary. As this faculty turns the mind in- 
ward, it enables us to study our own minds, and to call into ex- 
ercise those faculties which have relation to morality and reli- 
gion, and to spiritual things in general. The sign of it is large 
in metaphysicians, logicians, clairvoyants, spiritualists, and vision- 
aries, and larger in studious and sedentary people, as a general 
rule, than in those engaged in commerce and manufactures. 

The faculty of Self- Will is indicated by the length of the chin 
downward, under the canine tooth, and just forward of the sign 
of abstraction, as shown in the following outline. A large sign 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



31 




of this faculty bespeaks a person of great solidity and weight of 
character — one who clings to his position by force of concen- 
tration like a rock to the earth. This 
is the strongest of the faculties of the 
will, because it centres in oneself and 
is altogether one's own, being perfectly 
expressed in the words — 

« The hand of Douglas is his own — 
And never shall in friendly grasp 
The hand of such as Marmion clasp !" 

There is hence a moral strength in this 
faculty when properly exercised which 
belongs to the powerful and sublime. 
Its strength is that of the rock, rather than of the oak, which is 
a better emblem of firmness. A child under the influence of 
this unconquerable faculty endures blows heavily laid on ; and 
if the same faculty were exercised in a good cause, it would be 
heroic. Wilful or self-willed children, who express in their ac- 
tions the spirit of the words, "I'll do as I please," have the sign 
of this faculty large. 

The faculty of Perseverance is indicated by the length of the 
lower jaw downward, under the second large molar tooth, at 
about the middle of the jaw, as pointed out in this figure. One 
who has this sign large, pursues persevering- 
ly whatever he undertakes, is indefatigable 
in his exertions, does not stop to take rest, 
and, if he be not exhausted before his labor 
is completed, is sure to finish it. The sign 
is large in great students, in naturalists, in 
astronomers and mathematicians, and in all 
whose motto is " Per sever antia omnia vin- 
cit." 

The faculty of Resolution is indicated by 
the length of the lower jaw downward, under the incisor tooth, 
and just forward of the angle of the jaw, as pointed out in the 
first figure on the following page. In the second figure it is 
represented small. Resolution is generally strong in connexion 




32 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



with perseverance, but not always. In the latter case, the indi- 
vidual may " resolve, 
and re-resolve, and die 
the same." One who 
has the sign of resolu- 
tion large is very ener- 




getic. 



and if he has the 




sign of perseverance al- 
so large, he is very effi- 
cient The person rep- 
resented in the right-hand figure above, with 
small perseverance and resolution, has neither efficiency nor 
energy. 

In connexion with signs of character in the base of the lower 
jaw, may be mentioned those in the neck. The length of the 
cervical vertebrae, giving posterior extension and straightness to 
the neck, as represented in this outline, indicates the faculty of 
Firmness. One with this sign large re- 
mains firm and unshaken when there is 
an attempt to bend him from his purpose, 
or to make him swerve from his convic- 
tions of right. He is like an oak, calmer 
in tempests than other people, because 
storms have no power to shake him. Firm- 
ness acts very much with self-defence, and 
is usually large with it ; for to " stand one's 
ground," as we familiarly say, is to exer- 
cise both of these faculties. 

" Come one, come all ! this rock shall fly 
From its firm base, as soon as I" — 

expresses the simultaneous action of self-defence and firmness. 
The horse has the signs of both of these faculties large ; and 
when firmness is in strong exercise, he lengthens the back part 
of the neck and holds it as perpendicularly as possible, at the 
same time that he throws out the nose repeatedly in the direction 
of the sign of self-defence. The mule, the camel, the llama, and 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 33 

all animals that have long cervical vertebrae, or long necks, are 
instances of great firmness, manifesting the habit of remaining 
fixed in one place, particularly when it is attempted to drive 
them. The hog and the ass are very commonly supposed to 
possess great firmness, but this mistake should be corrected : for 
the hog does not stand still, but runs against the person or object 
in its path, and the ass does not stand so much as he runs back- 
ward. 

The length of the trachea or windpipe, together with the larynx, 
giving length and convexity to the fore part of the neck, as rep- 
resented in this outline, indicates the faculty of Independence. 

It is evident that independence or 
love of liberty is very different from 
firmness, though nearly allied to it. 
One who has this sign large loves free- 
dom, and can not brook arbitrary au- 
thority and restraint. It is very large 
in the Yankee physiognomy, and large 
also in the French, and larger gener- 
ally in woman than in man. One who 
has this sign small has but little free- 
dom of thought and feeling, and is 
more ready than others to " pin his faith to other men's sleeves." 
Independence acts very much with relative-defence, as firmness 
acts with self-defence ; for in the cause of liberty we defend 
others, their firesides and homes, or the oppressed of other lands, 
as in the exercise of firmness we defend ourselves and our own 
position. For the united action of independence acting as love 
of liberty, and relative-defence acting as irritability, we have an 
excellent example in the camel. All long-necked domestic ani- 
mals, as the horse, the camel, and the llama, have great love of 
liberty, which makes it necessary for them to be tied and held 
in with the rein ; and those animals which have the fore part of 
the neck longer than the back part, have more love of liberty 
than firmness. 

The faculty of Subserviency is indicated by the loose skin on 
3 




34 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




each side of the larynx, extending upward under the chin, as 
represented in this figure. When this loose skin is not sufficient 
to form folds, as is generally the case, it in- 
dicates only an ordinary degree of the fac- 
ulty. Subserviency gives the language and 
deportment of "Your most obedient ser- 
vant," and increases with years, being lar- 
gest in old age. Hence it is that a large 
sign of it is so frequently observable in old 
people. It acts very much with the faculty 
>of attack, as firmness acts with self-defence, 
and as independence acts with relative-de- 
fence : for aggression is in the service of a 
master or mistress, as exemplified in the characters of champions 
and knight-errants. The sign of subserviency is large in the dog, 
who is always ready to fight for his master ; and still larger in 
the cock, forming in him the two red dependencies at the upper 
part of the neck, on each side of the larynx. He has the sign 
larger than any other animal, because he has more of the spirit 
of chivalry and knight-errantry, and more gallantry even than 
man. 

The faculty of Submission is indicated by the loose skin ovei 
the windpipe, somewhat lower down than the sign of subservi- 
ency. When the faculty is large, which is seldom the case, the 
loose skin which indicates it forms a perceptible fold in the mid- 
dle line of the neck, as represented in this 
outline. This looseness of the integument 
may be observed in all persons by pinch- 
ing the part between the fingers, and thus 
the degree of the faculty may be judged 
of. Submission gives the character of hu- 
mility, without want of self-esteem, and 
manifests itself in the language and deport- 
ment of " Your most humble servant." It 
is the disposition to submit to the authority of government, of 
parents, of superiors, and particularly to the will of Providence. 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 35 

It shows itself in resignation (which is, indeed, synonymous with 
submission), and in bowing the neck to the yoke of trial and dis- 
cipline, whether they occur in the dispensations of Providence 
or of civil society. The sign of it is very great in the ox, who 
bows his neck to the yoke, and his will to the command of his 
master, as no other brute will do ; and it is very large also in the 
turkey, forming in him the long fold of loose red skin in front of 
the throat. The turkey is as remarkable for submission as the 
cock is for subserviency, manifesting it in sudden acts of hu- 
mility, bowing of the neck and drooping of the feathers, whenever 
a little authority is shown toward him, either from man or from 
one of his own species. 



36 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



LETTER V. 




The subject of this letter will be signs of character in the 
cheek-bones. The prominence of the corner of the cheek-bone 
under the outer angle of the eye, as pointed out in this figure, 

indicates the faculty of Protection. 
One who has this sign large likes to 
have good fences around his premi- 
ses, is fond of stone walls and forti- 
fications, and, if a general or a public 
man, will pay great attention to na- 
tional defences. The sign is very 
large in distinguished military men, 
giving them a squareness of the up- 
per part of the face ; is comparatively 
small in the American Indian, who seldom builds anything like 
a fence or fortification ; is very large in the Chinese, who is fa- 
mous for his " Great Wall ;" and is large also in the Dutchman, 
who is obliged to build fortifications to protect himself and his 
land from the encroachments of the sea. 

The breadth of the face, caused by the lateral projection of 
the cheek-bones next to the sign 
of protection, and a little higher, 
as represented in this figure, in- 
dicates the faculty of Hurling. 
A youth with this sign large is 
exceedingly fond of throwing 
stones from the hand or a sling, 
water from a spout, or shot from 
a gun. The sign is very large 
in the American Indian, and in 
all great warriors — the propensity for war depending on hurling 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 37 

more than on combativeness and the love of triumph. The fac- 
ulty of hurling delights in 

" Drum, gun, blunderbuss, and thunder" — 

the hurling of missiles, the clashing of arms, and the amputation 
of limbs, first by firearms and afterward by the knife. The sign 
of it is large in celebrated surgeons, as well as in renowned war- 
riors ; and undoubtedly the principle of cure in case of a gun-shot 
wound, or amputation by a cannon-ball, is similia similibus cu- 
rantur. The sign is large also in firemen, and in the boys that 
run to fires, assisting in the clamor, and delighting in the war of 
the elements. It is not very difficult to distinguish between the 
perverted and the legitimate action of this faculty. The monkey 
has the sign of it very large, and manifests it very strongly. It 
is large also in the horse that throws his rider, and hence the 
horse enters with such spirit into the battle. It manifests itself, 
when large, in a wild, fiery temper, and in a fiery-red complex- 
ion, like that of the Indian. It gives most delight in the throw- 
ing of fire-balls, or something hot, like a bomb from a mortar, 
and prompts the language — " I'll make it so hot there, that he'll 
wish he were somewhere else !" In those who throw " apples 
of discord" — not secretly, but openly — the sign of hurling is 
particularly large. 

The elevation of the arch of the cheek-bone, called the zygo- 
matic arch, as pointed out in this figure, indicates the faculty of 
Medicine. By the faculty of medi- 
cine, we do not mean the mem- 
bers of the medical profession, but 
the disposition to cure diseases by 
the application of medicinal agents, 
commonly called medicines. If a 
person has the sign of this faculty 
large, he will, other things being 
equal, be not only inclined to study 
and practise medicine, but will have a certain instinct for it, 
which will materially assist his scientific knowledge. Without 




38 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

this faculty and its sign in a superior degree, no person ever at- 
tained to skill and eminence in the medical profession, or ever 
made a very good nurse for the sick. The North American 
Indians have the sign of this faculty very large, one of their char- 
acteristics being high cheek-bones, and they are equally remark- 
able for their "medicine-men" — so much so, that some white 
persons consider the name " Indian doctor" a sufficient offset for 
ignorance and presumption. Animals possess more or less of 
the instinct for the use of medicines and the cure of diseases, and 
this is generally in proportion to the deficiency of the vis medi- 
catrix nature, or the power of the system to cure itself. Hence 
severe diseases are almost sure to prove fatal to the Indian until 
he has found a remedy, a fact which has been illustrated in the 
desolation of small-pox when first introduced among them ; and 
the domestic animals, as the horse, dog, cat, turkey, &c, which 
in their wild state find medicines for themselves, are almost sure 
to die when disease attacks them. The wild-turkey not only 
doctors itself, but its young, which in a tame state are so liable 
to sicken and die ; the cat instinctively crops the leaves of the 
catnep, without which she is subject to fits ; the horse eats the 
dock, a medicinal plant, and is the more healthy for it ; and the 
bear, the, fox, the rabbit, and many other animals, keep them- 
selves from madness or other diseases by the use of medicines : 
and it must be confessed that their remedies are mostly vegeta- 
ble. It should be observed, also, that when physicians take 
sick, they do not, as a general rule, recover as easily as others ; 
and that the Chinese, who have, like the American Indians, a 
large sign and faculty of medicine, are cured by medicine more 
than by the curative power of nature. Those who have the sign 
of this faculty small, get sick easily, and get well very soon of 
themselves, while the reverse is true of those who have the sign 
large. It is hence very possible as well as important to know 
who of the sick should be trusted to the care of Nature, and who 
should not be. Those who are of feeble constitutions, and fre- 
quently unwell, have but little of the faculty which would enable 
them to prescribe for themselves or others, and should trust to 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



89 




Nature and a proper regimen rather than to the doctor or apoth- 
ecary. 

The breadth and fullness of the orbitar process of the cheek- 
bones at the outer angle of the eye, as pointed out in this figure, 
indicates the faculty of Wave-Mo- 
tion. One who has it large loves 
the motion of the sea when it is 
disturbed by wind ; is fond of the 
rocking of a vessel on the water, 
or of a swing or cradle ; exhibits 
wavy or graceful motion in his gait 
and gestures, and is particularly 
fond of dancing. The sign is very 
small in the Irish, who show but 
little of the faculty in their mo- 
tions, and who care little for the 
accomplishment of dancing. It is 
large in the French and ^Italians, and particularly large in the 
Spanish, who in their gait are the most graceful people in the 
world, and who above all others exhibit wave-motion in their 
dances. The actors in the well-known " Spanish dance'' appear 
like a moving sea ; and we may say, indeed, that there is no other 
dance than this, or such as this, unless we allow that a succession 
of hops may be called dancing. A bear-dance is the most ab- 
surd thing in nature, or rather in art, for it is said that the animal 
is forced to take steps by standing on something hot. This fac- 
ulty is possessed by animals as well as men. The cat-kind have 
the sign of it large, and they exhibit graceful undulations, in uni- 
son with the music, as they pace back and forth in their cages. 
The bear has scarcely anything of the sign, and he stalks back 
and forth in his cage without the least appreciation or exhibition 
of grace. 

The prominence of the cheek-bone under the eye, at the place 
pointed out in the following engraving, indicates the faculty of 
Watchfulness. This is very large in the Indian, who has great 
power of vigilance. It is very large also in distinguished gen- 



40 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




erals, who need to exercise the faculty so much ; and it is par- 
ticular^ large in Napoleon, who is said to have taken but about 
four hours out of the twenty-four for sleep. In watchmen, too, 
and in physicians, and in good nur- 
ses, the sign of this faculty is larger, 
as a general rule, than in other peo- 
ple. One who has it large needs 
less sleep to restore nature than one 
who has it small — and the latter 
should not be required to set up as 
late and rise as early as the former. 
In officers of government, in polit- 
ical men, in those holding respon- 
sible stations, and in all who act 
upon the principle that " eternal vigilance is the price of liberty," 
the sign of this faculty is above the average — never below it. 
In the cat, the dog, the owl, and all carnivorous animals, the 
sign is larger than in the vegetable eaters. These, in seeking 
their food, have but to go where it is : those have not only to 
go where their food is, but have to watch their opportunity to 
take it. 

The downward projection of the angle of the cheek-bone, 
resting upon the hand in this figure, indicates the faculty of Love 

of Rest ; and just back of this, un- 
der the sign of hurling, is indicated 
the faculty of Repose. A very nat- 
ural action of the faculty of rest is 
a supporting of the head upon the 
elbow, with the sign of the faculty 
in contact with the back of the hand, 
as represented in this outline ; and 
in this position the knuckle of the 
middle finger naturally comes in 
contact with the sign of rest, while that of the index finger is un- 
der the sign of repose. One who has much perpendicular breadth 
or downward projection of the cheek-bone from the angle back- 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 41 

ward, has great capacity of resting and reposing, and will show 
great partiality for conveniences for this purpose, for rocking- 
chairs and couches, and will like to take a siesta during the day. 
If he have not a large sign of watchfulness, he will be very liable 
to drowse in church, or in reading this description, and is open 
to the charge of laziness. It may be observed, that when a per- 
son is merging from rest into repose, the head so changes its 
position that the hand would pass from the sign of one to that 
of the other, and come finally under the cheek-bone at the side 
of the face. A person in repose very commonly lies with the 
hand in contact with the sign of the faculty, between the face 
and pillow. In the dog and cat, in the same state, a like posi- 
tion may be observed. 

Besides the faculties of rest and repose, there is a faculty of 
Sleep — a deeper state than either of the others. The capability 
of slumbering or of sleeping soundly, so that it is difficult to 
rouse oneself or to be roused, is indicated by the long process 
of the lower jaw, which rises up under the temporal arch, and 
to which the temporal muscle is attached. The ordinary action 
of the muscle is in proportion to the sign of sleep, and closes 
the jaw lightly at its back part. If it were not for this connex- 
ion of the temporal muscle with the sign of sleep, the jaws would 
fall apart while a person is sleeping, the voluntary muscles being 
then relaxed. This is evident, from the fact that when a person 
is entirely exhausted, so that he cannot sleep, at the same time 
that he has no longer the power of watching, the jaws fall asun- 
der — a circumstance which attends the last stage of a disease, 
or which takes place at death. To the signs of rest and repose 
is attached the strong muscle called the masseter, which closes 
powerfully the fore part of the jaws, as in biting. Hence the 
jaws are closed more tightly during rest and repose than during 
sleep ; and without this connexion of the muscle wkh the signs of 
rest and repose, the jaws would separate as soon as the muscular 
system was relaxed from the absence of wakefulness. The car- 
nivorous animals possess these faculties in a superior degree, 
and they are remarkable for the strength of the muscles which 



42 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

close the jaw. The fox has the sign of sleep immensely large ; 
and it is said that he sleeps so soundly, that however closely 
approached, there is no great danger of waking him. The rab- 
bit has scarcely any of it, and of him there is a figurative saying 
that he " sleeps with one eye open." 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 43 



LETTER VI. 

There is not a part of the body in which people differ more 
than in the ear ; and as this is a very conspicuous member, ex- 
cept when artificially concealed, and as people are much dis- 
posed to attach some meaning to it, we may suppose that it is 
an important index of character. It has been thought by some 
persons that a large ear indicates good-nature, and this approxi- 
mates very nearly to the truth, for the whole size or expansion 
of the ear indicates Susceptibility of Improvement, or, in other 
words, Docility. This is not a faculty, but a general quality of 
the mind, and belongs to all the faculties. The susceptibility 
of improvement relates to artificial cultivation, in contradistinction 
to wild growth or mere spontaneous development, and belongs 
to man and animals in what is called an artificial state of society. 
Men in a civilized condition have much larger ears than those 
in a barbarous or savage state, and domestic animals have much 
larger ears than those of the same species which run wild. The 
Indian, who resists with such pertinacity the influence of civili- 
zation, has a comparatively small ear ; while the white man has 
a comparatively large one. By far the largest ears are to be 
found among the refined classes, and the smallest ears among the 
most natural and uncultivated. Political men, members of Con- 
gress, and officers of government generally, may be supposed to 
have the strongest affinity for civil institutions and artificial so- 
ciety, in which men subject themselves to the training, instruc- 
tion, and government of the laws ; and that is the class of men 
who excel others in large ears. In animals, there is the same 
agreement between the size of the ear and the susceptibility of 
improvement, or docility. The horse, cow, sheep, ass, rabbit, 
hog, elephant, &c, all improve in the state of domestication, and 
are superior to the same animals in a wild state. Other things 



44 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



being equal, the animal is docile in proportion to the size of the 
ear — the ass more than the horse, the rabbit more than the 
squirrel, the hog more than the sheep, the dog more than the 
cat, the elephant more than the camel, and so on. The domes- 
tic fowls, on the other hand, have not the sign of docility, and 
instead of improving by domestication, always deteriorate ; the 
domestic turkey, hen, goose, duck, &c, being far inferior to the 
wild. There is hardly a worse picture of degradation than one 
of these animals reared in a house or among children, as there 
is hardly a higher exhibition of native beauty and grandeur than 
these birds in a wild state. But the case is quite otherwise with 
cosset lambs, rabbits, calves, and colts. 

The lateral projection of the process of bone in front of the 
ear, called the zygoma, extending to the cheek-bone, indi- 
cates the faculty of Affectation, or the power of assuming the 

character of another. This faculty in- 
clines a person to put on airs some- 
what resembling the expression given 
in this figure, and of the general char* 
acter of acting. By itself, it is noth- 
ing more than what is commonly un- 
derstood by affectation ; but combined 
with large imitation, it shows itself in 
natural representations of real or im- 
aginary characters in dramatic exhibi- 
tions. Affectation shows itself in exaggerated feeling, or in the ap- 
pearance of carelessness and indifference, and this is assuming a 
character which is not one's own ; for the difference between one 
man and another is not a difference in the faculties of their minds, 
but a difference in the degree of their faculties. This exaggera- 
tion or suppression of emotions in the external expression belongs 
to comedy, pantomime, caricature, and burlesque, and indeed to 
tragedy and the opera, in which the actor not only assumes the 
character of another, but is ever liable to the charge of over- 
acting. The sign of it is large in tragedians, opera-singers, come- 
dians, and harlequins, and large in those who have the talent for 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 45 

mimicry, the faculty of imitation in this case receiving its direc- 
tion from the faculty of affectation. In a person wanting in hon- 
esty, and governed by selfishness, this faculty shows itself in 
dissembling and hypocrisy, and hypocrites have the sign of it 
large. Deception is undoubtedly a perverted action of this fac- 
ulty ; but there are circumstances in which it is justifiable and 
proper to express less than we feel, and not to seem annoyed 
when it would be disrespectful or uncharitable to seem so. In- 
deed, the faculty of benevolence is that which should give direc- 
tion to affectation, and hence it is that many very kind and affec- 
tionate persons seem to be always affected, and in reality are so. 
They express no more affection and kindness than they feel, but 
more interest, more surprise, more credulity, and more apprecia- 
tion, than is true ; and this may be said to be natural to them, 
because affectation is natural. m 

Nearly allied to the faculty of affectation are the Love of Sur- 
prise, the Love of Responsibility, and the Love of Concert. The 
first is indicated by the prominence of bone, called the mastoid 
process, behind the ear, represented in this figure. A person 
with this sign large likes to surprise and 
astonish people, either agreeably or disa- 
greeably; and for this end is sure to open 
all his budget of news, and to provide 
himself with all that is strange and exci- 
ting — is the first to carry the news of mar- 
riages and deaths, consults fortune-tellers 
and clairvoyants, and is never behind the 
times in relation to new discoveries. He 
likes to take people unawares ; to give them presents, or to 
pay them a visit, when they are not expecting it ; to be sly, 
cunning, and clever, in an innocent way ; or if he be governed 
by sordid and selfish motives, he is sly and cunning in a wicked 
sense, and, without honesty, will make an excellent cheat and 
even thief. The love of surprise will manifest itself in these 
various ways, according to the rest of the character. The sign 
of it is large in the American Indian, the Mexican, &c. ; and as 




46 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

they are governed mostly by destruetiveness, they manifest it 
in guerilla warfare, or, like the cat, in taking their prey or their 
enemy by surprise. This is regarded as slyness, cunniag, strat- 
agem, and treachery ; but when exercised benevolently, gives 
unexpected pleasure, and can be called by no worse name than 
love of surprise. In the dog, the fox, the cat, and all carnivor- 
ous animals, there is a large sign of this faculty, while in the 
vegetable eaters it is comparatively small. It may be thought 
that the particular type of character called the " Down-Easter" 
is very well described in the definition given to this faculty, and 
it is true that he has the sign and general physiognomical ex- 
pression of it very large. 

The Love of Respo7isibility is indicated by the limb of the 
lower jaw in its length downward from the ear, as represented in 
this figure. This sign is just back of the sign of resolution. 
One who has it large likes to put himself 
in responsible positions ; to have others de- 
pendent upon him ; to be a voucher and 
security for somebody ; to make the will 
sufficient to the end ; to say, " Amen, so be 
it" — " Be ye warmed and be ye fed ;" — 
to pronounce benedictions ; to will others, 
or to impress his desire upon them, and for 
this purpose to lay on hands as in Mesmer- 
izing and pronouncing a benediction, the 
act being significant of the imparting of a blessing by the direct 
agency of the will. It is evident that one who takes the responsibil- 
ity, either in a public or private situation, assumes that his will is 
sufficient for the will of others, a"nd through them for the accom- 
plishment of the end. He says, "Let it be as I desire," and 
this is taking the responsibility upon himself; but if he be an 
ignorant person, he is an impostor— he pretends to power that 
does not belong to him, and his benedictions and imposition of 
hands have only the effect to impose upon people, and give him 
the character of a sage or a prophet in the eyes of the ignorant. 
In the effect of Mesmerism, there is an entire gratification of this 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



47 



faculty, for the subject is put entirely beyond his own control, 
and is governed completely by the will of the Mesmerizer, re- 
ceiving from his hands the benediction which it is the object of 
every good Mesmerizer to impart. This is one office of the 
physician, and if he does his duty in this respect as well as in 
administering medicines, there is no necessity of his being an 
impostor, or of depending for his success on an imposing ap- 
pearance. 

The Love of Concert is indicated by the breadth between the 
eyes, as represented in this outline. In some persons this breadth 
is very great, in others it is very little. The 
former like very much to act in concert 
and harmony with others, to concert plans 
in which different . persons shall have sepa- 
rate acts to perform, all tending to one end ; 
to observe the mutual support which the 
different parts of a structure afford each 
other ; to unite the various parts in a con- 
cert of music, and to observe the adapta- 
tion of music to the walls and domes of a 
church or other ouildings, in the echoes 
which are produced. This sign is always 
large in those who are capable of carry- 
ing on the several parts of a tune, and of leading a choir, 
and is small in those who are incapable of attending to more 
than one part at a time. Those who have it large like to 
form partnerships and to counsel with others, or to carry on 
intrigues ; while those who have it small do not seek to make 
alliances, keep their own counsel, and do not join societies, or 
plot with others for any particular objects, good or bad. The 
sign of love of concert is large in birds of song, and they love to 
join with each other in singing, and to sing when noises are 
made. It is large in the dog, who strikes up his musical howl 
when a bell rings, or when he hears singing, or when he can 
join in concert with other dogs ; and it is still larger in the wolf. 
It is comparatively small in the cat, whose yell is so exceedingly 




48 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

unmusical and out of harmony with everything ; and it is still 
sjnaller in the cougar and others of the cat-kind, although these 
animals have the faculty of wave-motion, and delight in single 
melodies. For acting in concert, for singing in concert or har- 
mony, for political and literary clubs, and for breadth between 
the eyes, perhaps the Germans are more remarkable than any 
Other people. In woman there is generally more of this faculty 
and its sign than in man. 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



49 



LETTER VII. 



The language of the eye would in itself occupy a volume, 
but in this brief outline we must content ourselves with speaking 
of it as we have spoken of the ear, in general terms. The size 
of the eye indicates Activity, by which we mean, not a faculty, 
but an attribute of the mind, something appertaining to all the 
faculties. A small eye gives a physiognomical expression very 
different from that of a large one, and indicates a very different 
quality and character. It belongs always to a less degree of se- 
riousness, and is incompatible with a face indicative of great 
reverence and religious feelings, as we may see by a comparison 
of these two figures. The reason of this is, that activity is con- 
nected with the 
higher intellect- 
ual and religious 
faculties, more 
than with the ma- 
terial and sensu- 
al : we have often 
heard of " large, 
spiritual eyes," 
— andof"litde, 

sparkling, black eyes," to which nobody has ever thought of at- 
taching a spiritual significance, but very frequently the reverse. 
Small eyes more frequently than otherwise accompany a phleg- 
matic temperament, which is generally inactive and sluggish; 
and though they sometimes seem to express liveliness, the men- 
tal operations in such cases are slow, and there is neither quick 
ness of apprehension nor of speech. Persons with large eyes 
have very lively emotions, think very rapidly, and speak fast, 
unless there be a predominance of the phlegmatic temperament. 





50 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

Of persons with small eyes the reverse is true. The former are 
quick and spontaneous in their feelings and in the expression of 
them, and are therefore simple, like the Scotch, Swiss, and all 
who inhabit mountainous regions. The latter are slow and cal- 
culating, and therefore artful, like the Gipsies, a people who 
generally inhabit level countries. There is a connexion between 
activity and the ascending and descending of acclivities, a fact 
which we evince in running up and down stairs, and which an 
active horse exhibits when he comes to a hill ; and hence the 
Scotch Highlanders, as well as the sheep, goat, chamois, &c, 
have large eyes and very great activity. The rabbit, the squir- 
rel, the cat, the mouse, the gazelle, are instances of the sign of 
activity in a very superior degree ; while the hog, the rhinoceros, 
the elephant, the sloth, are instances of small eyes and very little 
activity. Insects, which are so exceedingly sprightly, have very 
large eyes, occupying full half the head ; while large and pon- 
derous animals have comparatively very small eyes, indicating 
their adaptation to the smaller species of the animal creation. 
It should be observed that sometimes a small opening of the 
eyelids causes a large eye to appear a small one, though this is 
not usually the case. 

The prominence of the cheek-bone obliquely over the sign of 
watchfulness, and under the outer angle of the eye, as shown in 

this figure, indicates the faculty of Love 
of Shadow. Woman has relatively more 
of this sign than man, and the faculty 
in her prompts the wearing of a veil, 
and the carrying of a parasol (aside 
from the mere desire of preserving a 
fair complexion), and makes her more 
disposed than man to seek the cover of 
a tree or arbor, to darken a room with 
shutters, or to lend a " soft, religious 
light" to the aisles of a church. One who has this sign large will 
surround his house with shade-trees, or prefer a " life in the 
woods," like the wild Indian, who has the sign extraordinarily 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



51 




large. It is by shadow that perspective is chiefly produced, and 
the sign of this faculty is large in those who are capable of pro- 
ducing this effect of distance in their pictures, a talent for which 
the old masters are particularly distinguished. 

Under the centre of the eye, the prominence of the cheek- 
bone, as represented in this outline, indi- 
cates the faculty of Machinery. One who 
has this faculty and its sign large, under- 
stands the principles of motion and their 
application to machinery, has a talent for 
the invention or ready appreciation of en- 
gines, and the complicated apparatus of 
" wheels within wheels," which, to per- 
sons deficient in this sign, are discord and 
confusion as great as are the noises they produce. 

In the prominence of the cheek-bone under the inner angle of 
the eye, as represented in this figure, is indicated the faculty of 
Construction. A talent for constructing 
is not the same as a talent for machinery, 
but differs from it, inasmuch as a struc- 
ture differs from a machine : the former 
being stationary, and composed of straight 
lines and parts of a circle, and the latter 
being adapted to motion, and composed 
of circles alone. Carpenters and joiners, 
cabinet-makers, and other mechanics, ex- 
ercise the faculty of construction in their 
trades ; and those who distinguish themselves as master-work- 
men, or who show much mechanical ingenuity, have the sign of 
constructiveness large. It is very great in the beaver. Women 
exhibit a most excellent taste in dwellings, furniture, and every- 
thing belonging to construction, and the sign of the faculty is 
large in them. 

The prominence of the top of the ridge of the nose, just un- 
der the forehead, and above the sign of attack, as represented in 
the following figure, indicates the faculty of Architecture. This 




52 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




gives the Grecian form of nose ; and the taste and talent for ar- 
chitecture displayed by the Grecians is indicated by this feature, 
which has given the name of " Grecian 
nose," as the signs of attack and relative- 
defence, for which the Romans were re- 
markable, have given the name of " Roman 
nose." The faculty of architecture does 
not refer to the parts of a building or su- 
perstructure, but rather to the pillars and 
columns which are superadded, and serve 
as supports, and to which is attributed the 
peculiar style of architecture, as the Corinthian, the Ionic, the 
Doric, the Gothic, and the Composite. The abutments of a 
bridge are not properly parts of the bridge itself, which is merely 
the structure which spans the stream ; and in like manner the 
columns of a temple are not the structure itself, but the architec- 
ture on which it rests. It is hence proper to call our legislators 
— those who are worthy of the name — "pillars of the constitu- 
tion," though they are evidently no part of the constitution itself. 
The faculty of architecture gives a delight in the tall shafts of 
trees, and in disposing them so as to present the appearance of 
a colonnade ; and birds, squirrels, cats, and other animals, which 
inhabit or climb trees, have the sign of this faculty large. The 
dog, wolf, fox, and animals which have nothing to do with col- 
umns, have the sign small. 

The breadth of the nose on each side of the sign of architec- 
ture, and between the eyes, as shown in 
this figure, indicates the faculty of Weav- 
ing, This sign is generally large in con- 
nexion with the sign of the faculty of ma- 
chinery, for the reason that the two facul- 
ties are generally exercised together. The 
most extensive application of machinery is 
to the manufacture of fabrics by the proces- 
ses of weaving ; and the person who readily comprehends the 
various kinds of webs and networks is generally capable of com- 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



53 



"ehending, without much difficulty, the action of the power 
which produces these effects, or, in other words, the action of 
labor-saving machinery. The sign of weaving is large in the 
inventors of looms and in weavers. It is large in the Scotch, 
and in the American Indians, who are famous for their baskets, 
their beautiful net moccasins, and a thousand ornamental things, 
woven with many-colored quills and threads. It is also very 
large in the chimney-swallow and other birds that weave for 
their nests round fabrics of hair, thread, or silk. 

The breadth of the nose just below the sign of weaving, and 

on each side of the sign of attack, 
as represented in this figure, indi- 
cates the faculty of Love of Cloth- 
ing. This is large in those who 
like to dress well — to put on an 
abundance of clothes in cold weath- 
er, to have many changes of gar- 
ments, and who pay great attention 
to their wardrobe. In those who 
have a passion for dress, who have 
an ambition to outshine their neigh- 
bors in attire, who covet the distinction of a military or official 
dress, who aspire to a clergyman's gown, a cardinal's cloak, or 
to the royal purple, the sign of the love of clothing is very large. 
It is very large, for example, in Richelieu ; and larger in those 
who display rich garments and splendid equipage, as in the case 
of what is called " high life," than among the humbler and poorer 
classes. In woman there is generally more of it than in man, 
and a very strong manifestation of the faculty is her disposition 
to wrap herself in furs and carry a muff, as well as her taste for 
dress and equipage in general. 

The breadth of the nose under the inner angle of the eye, 
next to the sign of clothing, and the elevation of the cheek-bone, 
extending on to the side of the nose, as shown in the following 
figure, indicate the faculty of Love of Water. This sign is 
large in sailors, in fishermen, in those who from choice reside 




54 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




on the shores of lakes and rivers, in persons who bathe a great 
deal, as the inhabitants of India, and particularly in those who 

attach so great an importance to water 
as to think it the sovereign good and 
the cure for " all the ills that flesh is 
heir to." The negro has the sign very- 
large, and in some countries he is al" 
most amphibious. The love of water 
is also indicated by a complexion dark- 
er than that which is natural to the 
temperament, or than agrees with the 
color of the hair and eyes. Thus a 
person with light hair and eyes, and a 
dark complexion, is one who loves very 
much to bathe and use water in various ways ; while a person 
with dark hair and eyes, and a fair complexion, is one of the 
last to become a practical hydropathist. Children have the 
sign of this faculty larger relatively than grown persons, and 
they are exceedingly fond of running out into the rain, and of 
playing and wading in water. In the dog the sign is large, and 
in the cat it is small, though cleanliness in the cat is much 
greater than in the dog; which shows that the love of cleanliness 
and the love of water are by no means in direct proportion to 
each other. 

The Love of Cleanliness is a particular faculty of the mind, 
and is indicated by the fullness of the middle line of the fore- 
head, extending upward about an inch and a half from the root 
of the nose. The external and internal plates of the skull are 
separated at this place, and consequently the surface does not 
indicate the form of the brain, but of the sinus or cavity beneath, 
and is strictly a physiognomical sign, like the other bones of the 
face, which also contain sinuses. In some persons this middle 
line of the forehead is so prominent as to form a ridge ; in oth- 
ers it is so deficient as to present a depression. In the former, 
there is always a great love of cleanliness, of sweeping and dust- 
ing, of removing cobwebs and offensive things from corners, of 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 55 

routing insects and vermin from their hiding-places, or rather of 
not allowing them to exist; and if the love of cleanliness is com- 
bined with the love of water, there is a great love of washing 
clothes, scrubbing floors, and bathing the body. In the cat the 
sign of cleanliness is large, with a small sign of love of water ; 
but in the dog the sign of water is large, with a small sign of 
love of cleanliness. Woman has generally much more love of 
cleanliness than man, and she has more of the sign. 



56 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



LETTER VIII. 



/ 



Undoubtedly the region of the forehead over the eye is to 
be included in the facial signs of character, for the frontal sinu- 
ses belong as properly to the face as do the sinuses of the cheek- 
bone and nose with which they communicate. The angle or 
outer extremity of the ridge of the eyebrow, represented in this 
figure, indicates Love of Enjoyment. One who has this sign 

large has" a lively perception of ev- 
erything which contributes to ex- 
quisiteness of sensation, or which, in 
addition to the mere necessaries and 
comforts of life, affords delight and 
luxury; and for this reason he is also 
more sensible to suffering. He does 
y^C^^H^^ not live merely for the sake of living, 

* but for the luxury of living ; loves 

what is soft and refined in its influ- 
ence, as the music of the iEolian harp, the flavors of the daintiest 
fruits or the choicest viands, the interchange of delicate feelings, 
and the society of the accomplished. He delights in a mild 
temperature, in soft showers, in grateful sunlight and in breezes 
bland, and in everything which can waken a sense of Elysium. 
The sign of this faculty is very large in the cat. A person of 
vulgar tastes and evil passions may also possess a great deal of 
the faculty and sign of love of enjoyment, and such a one will 
delight in luxuries of another kind — in smoking, chewing, feast 
ing, wines, sensuality, and all kinds of debauchery. Those who 
thus pervert the love and susceptibility of enjoyment, are afflicted 
with the most excruciating sufferings, such as the gout and va- 
rious nervous diseases ; as those who exercise the faculty legiti- 
mately experience the greatest pleasures. 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



57 




The opposite extremity of the ridge of the eyebrow, near the 
rooUof the nose, as represented in this figure, indicates the fac- 
ulty of Substitution. This is large in 
those who are fond of putting one thing 
for another, of making pictures and rep- 
resentations of those who are dead or ab- 
sent, and also of landscapes and all kinds 
of natural objects as substitutes for the 
originals. It is very large in painters, 
sculptors, and amateurs, and particularly 
in those who are disposed to make liv- 
ing statues of themselves, to be moved 
about like automatons and machines by 
the power and will of another, as is the case with soldiers and 
those called " Model Artists." The disposition to be a clerk, 
to do business on commission, to be the agent and embassador 
of another, as well as the love of making works of art to take the 
place of Nature, as in sculpture and painting, and the various 
labor-saving machines, is indicated by this sign. In animals 
which are adapted to becoming substitutes for man, as the horse, 
ox, dog, &c, this sign is large. 

The middle third of the ridge of the eyebrow, between the 
signs of substitution and love of enjoyment, as shown in this fig- 
ure, indicates the faculty of Love of Climb- 
ing. This is large in the Scotch, in those 
who have a passion for ascending mount- 
ains, for climbing to the tops of trees, and 
whose motto is, " Excelsior !" It is large 
in sailors, who not only climb ropes, but 
are very ambitious of being promoted, 
and who when on land are fond of mount- 
ing to the top of vehicles, and of making 
themselves conspicuous. It is also large 
in chimney-sweeps, and in bears and mon- 
keys. 

The jutting of the ridge of the eyebrow downward, under the 





58 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

sign of substitution, as represented in this figure, indicates the 
faculty of Subterfuge. One who has this sign large has Sun- 
dance of resources ; is prolific in ways and 
means to accomplish his ends , is confident 
of being able to meet emergencies, and there- 
fore does not fear them ; and is thought by 
many to have a great deal of self-assurance. 
He is very capable of making shifts to avoid 
detection, and to keep his head out of wa- 
ter ; and if driven from one position, is sure 
to make his reappearance in a still more bold 
and conspicuous one, where he defies the 
world to come and molest him : and as he knows all by-places, 
loopholes, and under-ground passages, he is the best person in 
the world to detect rogues and bring them forth from their lurk- 
ing-places ; and in this, his true position, he is a very useful 
member of society. His peculiar trait of character appears in 
all he does, for he never acknowledges himself mistaken, and he 
is a most crooked and slippery person in an argument — for 
" e'en though vanquished, he can argue still ;" and, like the 
knight, who 

" falling fought, 

And, being down, still laid about," 

he is never conquered. The faculty of subterfuge, when very 
great, manifests itself in mischief-making ; in undermining the 
•character of others, and building a reputation on their downfall ; 
in castigating with the tongue, and pouring forth torrents of in- 
vective, in backbiting, sarcasm, and satire. The sign of it is 
large in very many of the Irish — in Byron, Sterne, Demosthenes, 
and Cicero, and others too numerous to mention. An " unruly 
member" is the tongue of such persons. It is large also in the 
parrot, magpie, dog, skunk, hyena, fox, and animals that, like 
the rat and mouse, undermine and have many ways of making a 
living. 

The downward projection of the ridge of the eyebrow, under 
the sign of love of climbing, as represented in the following 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 59 

figure, indicates the faculty of Resistance. This is large in those 
who are inclined to oppose resistance to whatever force they see 
in action ; who like to raise mutinies and 
rebellions, and to see the social elements 
in commotion ; who love to go against the 
wind and to stem the tide ; who always 
oppose the wishes and opinions of others ; 
who resist evil, and would go to the end 
of the world to resent an injury. It is 
large in sailors, who are required to buffet 
winds and storms, who are greatly disposed 
to mutiny, and who are very revengeful. 
It is large in the Indian, who is said never to forget an injury ; 
in duellists, who will not forgive ; and in murderers, who gener- 
ally kill from a feeling of revenge. A person with this sign 
large will be the last to adopt non-resistance principles, or at 
least to act upon them. His principle of justice is an eye for an 
eye and a tooth for a tooth, and he is a believer in retributive 
justice and capital punishment. It is this faculty, not firmness, 
which causes the hog to go always in the opposite direction ; 
which makes the wild goose and duck fly against the wind; 
which makes the bear turn upon the hunter when wounded, and 
resent the injury; and which causes the elephant to harbor re- 
venge until Jie has an opportunity to gratify it : but it has a still 
stronger action in soldiers and great generals, and rulers who 
set them on, and they have the sign large, as we may see by 
looking at their faces. 

The downward projection of the ridge of the eyebrow, under 
the sign of love of enjoyment, as represented in the following 
figure, indicates the Love of Contest. This is large in those who 
delight in contests for prizes, who run races of ambition, and 
manifest emulation and rivalship toward those who are engaged in 
the same pursuits. It is large in those who delight in law-suits, 
horse-racing, cock-fighting, bull-baiting, pugilism, and particularly 
in card-players and other gamesters. In connexion with eating, 
the love of contest manifests itself as rapacity ; and great game- 



60 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




sters are rapacious eaters, and all rapacious eaters have the sign 
of this faculty large. In the business of merchandise there is 
great exercise of rivalship, and merchants 
and merchants' clerks are notoriously fast 
eaters, and have the sign of contest large 
in proportion to the exercise of the faculty. 
Emulation belongs very much to the prac- 
tice of painting and the fine arts, and to col- 
or and taste in dress ; and the sign is there- 
fore very commonly large in aritsts and in 
fashionable ladies. Those who have so 
much of the faculty as to wish to put all ri- 
vals out of the way, by poisoning or assassination, of which there 
are many instances in history, are remarkable for its sign ; and 
it is not at all deficient in those who run for office, nor in those 
who run them. The greatest prizes, such as crowns and scep- 
tres, are connected with the history of the strongest and most 
perverted exercise of this faculty. Its sign is large in the dog, 
hog, fowls, and all rapacious animals, which eat as if they were 
striving for the food more than to gratify hunger, and which fight 
more for the prize of victory than for the love of fighting. The 
legitimate action of these faculties is of course to be distinguished 
from the perverted action, and this will depend upon the strength 
or weakness of the higher intellectual and moral powers. 

The sinus of the forehead, extending from 
the root of the nose obliquely upward over 
the ridge of the eyebrow, as represented in 
this figure, indicates the power of Memory 
and the Capacity and Love of Knowledge, 
In all persons who are remarkable for 
verbal memory, or for the recollection of 
facts, the lower part of this sign, above the 
root of the nose, is very large. In those 
who are extraordinarily well informed, and 
who possess a great knowledge of public and private affairs, the 
middle portion of this sign is very large. In those who have 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 61 

a great desire for knowledge, and who, like the ancient philoso- 
phers, travel from country to country in search of it, the farthest 
extremity of this sign is very large, or, in other words, the sinus 
extends farther upward and outward than usual. The sign is 
particularly large in travellers and archaeologists, and even in 
those who show great talent for gathering and communicating 
the news of a town or neighborhood. It is also large in men of 
vast information and knowledge, as Lord Brougham, Sir Isaac 
Newton, and other statesmen and philosophers. The Indian, 
who depends upon his memory of passing events, and upon tra- 
dition, for his knowledge of the past, and who possesses an ex- 
cellent memory in other respects, has this sign large. It is also 
very large in the elephant. Where there is a predominance of 
this sign, there is always a greater disposition to reason a poste- 
riori, or from effect to cause, than to reason h priori, or from 
the nature of things. 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



LETTER IX. 

We have, in the preceding letters, taken a brief survey of the 
signs of character in the bones or framework of the face. Let 
us now take a glance at those parts of the face which are chiefly 
concerned in expression, and which give to the countenance the 
animation of life. Deprived of the action of its muscles, the 
face wears the appearance of death ; and the first symptom of 
restoration from a state of trance, or of asphyxia, is observed to 
be some twitching or slight movement of these muscles. That 
they are connected with the social affections is evident, for how 
constantly do they act in conversation, and vary with the infinite 
variation of emotion and feeling ! How soulless is a face which 
remains motionless like a corpse, when the conversation is soul- 
stirring and exciting ! Man does not even live, except as a part 
ofsMAN, so essentially a social being is he. The first faculties 
which men should exercise toward each other are benevolence, 
kindness, gratitude, and respect. These are the graces of life, 
and were represented by the ancients as the most charming things 
in society, under the figure of three beautiful females — one rep- 
resenting Benevolence and Kindness, and the other two repre- 
senting Gratitude and Respect. But the first question with us 
is, "How has Nature represented these in the face?" Benevo- 
lence and Kindness are indicated by the perpendicular muscular 
fibres passing down from the middle of the upper part of the 
forehead to near the root of the nose. The action of these fibres 
elevates the brow in the centre of the forehead, causing short 
horizontal wrinkles, which, together with the elevation, as rep- 
resented in the following figure, indicates the action of these 
faculties. It may be observed that some persons elevate the 
brow most on the right side of the middle line, and others on 
the left. The former possess more benevolence than kindness, 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



63 




and the latter more kindness than benevolence ; the faculty O: 
benevolence, or the disposition to give, having the strongest ac- 
tion on the right side, while the faculty 
of kindness, or the disposition to help, 
has the strongest action on the left side. 
Men have generally more of the latter, 
it being appropriate to them to use 
their superior physical strength in aid- 
ing the weak ; and women have gener- 
ally more of the former — that is, of 
benevolence — it being more appropri- 
ate to them to personify heavenly char- 
ity ; and this agrees with the difference 
between man and woman in reference to the signs of these two 
faculties. 

The faculty of Gratitude is indicated by the upturning of the 
hairs of the right eyebrow at the inner extremity, and the faculty 
of Respect is indicated by the upturning of the hairs of the inner 
extremity of the left eyebrow, as seen above. The sign of grati- 
tude being on the right side, agrees with the fact that gratitude 
is very closely allied to benevolence, which has also its sign on 
the right side ; and the sign of respect being on the left side, 
agrees with the fact that respect is very closely allied to kind 
ness, which has also its sign on the left side. 

The muscular fibres passing from 
the top of the forehead to the middle 
of the eyebrow, causing an elevation 
of the brow, and horizontal wrinkles 
on each side of benevolence and kind- 
ness, as shown in this figure, indicate 
the faculties of Enthusiasm and Hope, 
the first being indicated on the left side, 
and the latter on the right. Enthusi- 
asm is zeal for truth, or for something 
supposed to be true ; and hope is the 
desire and expectation of real or imaginary good The signs 




64 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



of these faculties are large in very religious persons, in those who 
are zealous and ardent for the glory of God and the good of 
man, even though they be laboring under delusion ; but they are 
not large in all who " profess and call themselves Christians." 
If benevolence and kindness are large, hope and enthusiasm are 
less liable to perversion ; and the latter faculties are necessary to 
the proper action of the former. 

The upturning of the hairs of the outer extremity of the eye- 
brow, on the left side, indicates the faculty of Belief; and the 
upturning of the hairs of the outer extremity of the eyebrow, on 
the right side, indicates the faculty of Immortality, In the pre- 
ceding figure there is the sign of very great faith or belief, or, if 
we choose to call it so, very great credulity ; and there is also 
the sign of a strong feeling of immortality, or sense of the immor- 
tality of the soul. These are never large in materialists, fatalists, 
and infidels. The faculty of belief has a very close relation to 
the faculty of enthusiasm, or zeal for truth, and hence its sign is 
on the same side with the sign of the latter faculty ; and the fac- 
ulty of immortality has a very close relation to the faculty of 
hope, and hence its sign is on the right side. When belief and 
immortality are very strong, the upturning of the hairs extends 
to the middle of the eyebrow from the outer extremity ; and when 
gratitude and respect are very strong, the upturning of the hairs 
extends to the middle of the eyebrow from the inner extremity. 

Next to the faculties of benevo- 
lence, kindness, gratitude, and re- 
spect, the faculties of enthusiasm, 
hope, belief, and immortality, should 
be exercised in the social relation, 
for in his religious faculties man is 
eminently social ; and next to these, 
men should exercise toward each 
other truth and justice. The fac- 
ulty of Truth is indicated by the 
muscle which surrounds the eye, 
causing folds and wrinkles, as rep- 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 65 

resented in the preceding cut ; and the faculty of Justice is indica- 
ted by the muscle which causes perpendicular wrinkles between 
the eyebrows, as shown in the same figure. Fullness and wrin- 
kles under the eye, for which some persons are remarkable, indicate 
the love of mathematical accuracy ; folds and wrinkles of the upper 
eyelid indicate the love of historical accuracy ; and curved wrin- 
kles at the outer angle of the eye and eyebrow indicate the love 
of keeping promises, or what is usually called probity. There 
are also three faculties of justice : the first being a kind of ex- 
actness or strict honesty, in small money matters which some 
people would call closeness, indicated by a single perpendicular 
wrinkle between the eyebrows ; the second being the disposition 
to require justice in others, indicated by two perpendicular wrin-j 
kles, one on each side of the centre — a very common sign ; and 
the third being conscientiousness, or the disposition to apply the 
rule of justice to oneself, indicated by several perpendicular 
wrinkles extending along above the eyebrow when the muscle is 
in action. Justice is the love of right and condemnation of 
wrong, either in oneself or others ; and this, not the disposition 
to condemn others, is what the sign of justice properly indicates. 
Thus the proper action of justice leads to the " overcoming of 
evil with good," while the perverted action leads to the "return- 
ing of evil for evil," as the means of curing it. 

Related to truth and justice are the Love of Fiction and the 
Love of Collating. The first is indicated by the muscle of the 
socket which turns the eye directly into the outer angle toward 
the ear ; and the latter is indicated by the opposite muscle, which 
turns the eye directly into the inner angle toward the nose. 
These two signs generally act together, and in exact proportion 
to each other, one eye turning outward while the other turns in- 
ward ; and the reason of this is, that fiction has generally to be 
made up from scraps of reality, while disconnected objects or 
events have to be linked together by fiction or the creations of 
fancy. Novelists and compilers are no more remarkable for 
these two faculties than for their signs. Sometimes, however, 
the love of fiction, or of story-telling, is less than the love of col- 
5 



66 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




lating, and in that case the eyes squint toward the nose ; and at 
other times the love of collating is less than the love of fiction, 
in which case the eyes squint outward. Unless the squinting be 
from deficiency of one of these faculties, rather than from the 
excess of the other, there is the dis- 
position to tell falsehoods or to pla- 
giarize — to tell falsehoods if the 
squint be outward, and to plagiarize 
if it be inward. If these faculties 
are strong, there is the necessity of 
large truth and justice to counter- 
balance their influence and to pre- 
vent their excessive and perverted 
action. If there be a large sign of f* 
affectation, the love of fiction, if it 
be strong, will most probably mani- 
fest itself in lying, particularly if the 
love of truth be not large ; and if there be a large sign of acquis- 
itiveness, and small justice, the love of collating, if it be strong, 
will most probably manifest itself in plagiarism, or in common 
stealing. There are persons exceedingly wanting in soul (indi- 
cated by a dead countenance, one in which there is no muscular 
action or expression), who can lie and steal, or, what is the same 
thing, cheat, without any very perceptible motion of the eye. 
There are a thousand temples of Mammon in which men and 
women " quench the spirit" daily, until the last trace of expres- 
sion or of animation is almost obliterated from their countenances. 
Those who depend for the success of a lie on its boldness rather 
than on its artfulness and plausibility, and who rob in daylight 
and before the face and eyes of their victims, do not show the 
signs of lying and theft, or of the perverted action of fiction and 
collating ; and the reason of this is, there is no soul to show it- 
self in the countenance. 

Incidents in the course of a man's life that have the character 
of fictitious reality, or of unnatural excitement and disorder, and 
that are sometimes said to be " stranger than fiction," are, by a 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 07 

law of the mind, narrated as if they were false and unreal — the 
creations of a wild fancy, rather than as biographical or histori- 
cal events ; and they who relate them as incidents of their own 
lives, show the sign of the love of fiction and collating while 
doing so, though they are all the time telling nothing but the 
exact truth. The orderly and ordinary circumstances of our 
lives do not seem strange or incredible to us ; but those that are 
contrary to Nature, and therefore false, owing either to our faults 
or our misfortunes, seem always like fictions or the recollections 
of a dream ; and in thinking or speaking of them, the faculties 
of fiction and collating are in exercise, and so are their signs. 
Such passages in a man's history are contrary to truth and right, 
and therefore objects of confession and repentance ; and when he 
manifests these, we need not fear that he is uttering falsehood. 

The sign of Confession and Penitence is the length or droop- 
ing of the upper eyelid. The drooping of the half of the eyelid 
from the outer angle to the centre, indicates the disposition to 
confess one's faults to parents or seniors, to a " father confessor," 
or to the Supreme Being. The drooping of the half of the eye- 
lid from the inner angle to the centre, indicates the disposition 
to repent and to " do works meet for repentance." These are 
large in connexion with the proper action of the love of fiction 
and collating, as seen in the preceding figure. They are extraor- 
dinary in devotees of the Roman Catholic religion, in ascetics, 
nuns, and numerous laymen, who practise penances and confes- 
sions ; and no less extraordinary in reformed inebriates, gamblers, 
and profligates. As human nature is not perfectly free from faults, 
and never will be, there is and ever will be occasion for the ex- 
ercise of these faculties. Were it otherwise, and were not the 
" creature subject to vanity," there could be no improvement 
and no progress ; neither could there be any occasion for prayer- 
fulness and humility. 

The faculty of Prayerfulness is indicated by the muscle which 
turns the eye directly upward, and the faculty of Humility is in- 
dicated by the muscle which turns the eye directly downward, 
as is represented in the figures of the Madona. The former is 



63 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



usually large in connexion with the sign of confession, and the 
latter in connexion with the sign of penitence ; the reason of 
which is, that between the faculties of pen- 
itence and humility there is the same close 
connexion as between confession and pray- 
er. One who has more prayer than hu- 
mility has the eye turned habitually some- 
what upward, so that the upper part of the 
iris is a little covered by the upper eyelid, 
and so as to leave a slight space between the 
iris and the lower lid, as represented in this 
figure. The reverse is true of one who has 
more humility than prayer. 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



69 



LETTER X. 



If, in addition to truthfulness and the disposition to confess 
one's faults and to ask forgiveness, there is a strong faculty of 
Confidence, we have a character frank and ingenuous, but too 
disposed to expose its follies and errors to everybody, even with- 
out solicitation. The faculty of confidence is indicated by the 
thickness of the nose just forward of the sign of concealment, 
which was described in the second letter. It is large, together 
with large signs - of confession and love of truth, in this face, 

which belongs, as nearly ev- 
ery one would say, to a youth 
of great truthfulness, sincerity, 
frankness, and candor. There 
is likewise in this countenance 
great simplicity, without any- 
thing of weakness or folly. 

Simplicity is a faculty or el- 
ement of the mind, and is in 
dicated by a gentle curving of 
the corners of the mouth, as if 
they were drawn upward and 
forward toward the nose, as they really are. It is seen in sim- 
ple-hearted children, who are disposed to understand everything 
literally and according to the most natural interpretation, and to 
rely on first impressions and experiences. It is large also in 
many men of distinguished simplicity of character, and of no less 
distinguished learning and ability. 

The faculty of Friendship is indicated by the muscle which 
surrounds the mouth, and which, when large and strong, cause 
slightly-converging wrinkles, as is represented in the following 
portrait. One who has only small perpendicular wrinkles mark- 




70 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




ing the lips, is not deficient in this faculty ; but one whose lips 
are perfectly smooth is wanting in it, 
and will find it less difficult to break 
friendships than to form them. A 
person, on the contrary, who has a 
large sign of friendship, will find it 
not so difficult to form friendships as 
to break them, and in the hour of 
danger and adversity will show him- 
self more a friend than ever before. |§p^ Wt^^lM 

" The tree of its leaves may be reft, ? \l£§ 

In winter, alone on the hill ; 
But yet a fond few will be left, 
To nutter and cling to it still" — 

and these may represent true friends not less graphically than 
those that are scattered by the winds may represent false ones. 

The faculty of Purity, which is closely allied to simplicity, is 
indicated by the compression of the lower lip against the upper 
in the middle. The signs of simplicity and purity together give 
the impression of these faculties to the most casual observer, 
though he may not be able to express it by any more definite 
word than " sweetness." A person with a large sign of purity 
can not utter an impure word, or converse on indelicate subjects ; 
and if simplicity is also large, there is not only the indisposition 
but the inability to understand vulgar allusions and inuendoes. 
With those who are deficient in these signs the case is otherwise. 

The faculty of Magnanimity, which is 
closely allied to friendship, is indicated 
by the compression of the lower against 
the upper lip, on each side of the sign of 
purity, and chiefly at the corners, as rep- 
resented in this figure, which Lavater 
speaks of as having an " air of royalty in 
all the lower part of the face." One with 
this sign large can not easily do a mean 
action ; he will not use his superior knowl- 
edge, or strength, or influence, to oppress and injure the pooi 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



71 



and weak of mankind, nor to gain inglorious victory over those 
who are not able to withstand him. Hence a large allowance 
of this faculty belongs to a truly noble character, and is mani- 
fested in the mastiff, while it is wanting in the cur. In the ele- 
phant, too, the sign of this faculty is large. In short, Nature 
has given magnanimity to the most powerful of animals as well 
as to the most powerful of men ; and if the lion is not always 
magnanimous, it is not because magnanimity does not belong to 
such an " air of royalty" as his, but because man declares and 
exercises superiority over him, and because he is driven by hun- 
ger to devour animals weaker than himself. Men who are cruel 
to animals, and who make animals of the human species, are not 
the highest instances of magnanimity, though they not unfre- 
quently pride themselves on a " code of honor ;" for it is un- 
doubtedly more honorable, or, in other words, more magnani- 
mous, to forgive an injury, than to wish to revenge it : and as 
man has far more knowledge, and by means of it far more power 
than any of the inferior animal creation, a very great deal more 
magnanimity is to be expected of him. A deficiency in this re- 
spect shows itself in listening at keyholes, prying into sealed let- 
ters, taking advantage of confidence, in coquetting, and in a thou 
sand dishonorable ways ; and those who do such things have the 
sign of magnanimity small. 

Another of the particularly so- 
cial faculties is Hospitality, This 
is indicated by the broad muscle 
which draws the corners of the 
mouth directly backward, causing 
perpendicular wrinkles or furrows 
in the cheek, as seen in this engra 
ving. This is large in truly hospi- 
table persons, such as are " careful 
to entertain strangers," and not al- 
ways in those who from their atten- 
tions to persons of rank are called 
hospitable, but who might better be 
called vain. 




72 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 




The faculty of Admiration is indicated by the muscle which 
elevates the cheek, causing a fullness of the flesh under the cen- 
tre of the eye, as in this face. In a person more selfish than 

benevolent, as most persons are, this 
faculty manifests itself in vanity or 
the love of being admired, of being 
thought beautiful, of being praised for 
elegance of dress, of being flattered 
on account of titles, or for the lustre 
which may be reflected from the fa- 
vor or society of some great person- 
age. The individual who likes to 
have it said that he has dined at court, 
or that he has had the company of 
some great lord at his table, or that he has received medals from 
this, that, and the other crowned head, as well as the individual 
who is vain of a pretty face, or of the gay attire that makes up 
for a homely one, has the sign of admiration, or rather of love 
of admiration, very large. But this sign is large also in those 
who greatly admire others, and things other than their own, as 
flowers, birds, landscapes, paintings, &c. It may be observed to 
be larger, as a general rule, in women than in men. 

The faculty of Jealousy is the antagonist of admiration, and is 
indicated by an oblique fullness be- 
low the under lip, as represented in 
this figure. One who has this sign 
very large, does not find it easy to 
look with favor on beauty, particu- 
larly in a human being, and can not 
endure to have others admire it. He 
is something like the " dog in the 
manger," for the beauty he sees he 
can not enjoy, and will not allow oth- 
ers to ; and that others may not be 
admired, he will seek, not to be ad- 
mired, as is generally supposed, but to eclipse them — forasmuch 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 73 

as he has a contempt for admiration, he scorns to receive it. He 
is a person you need not think of flattering ; but as he wishes to 
eclipse others, he loves distinction, and is highly gratified with 
receiving it. He well knows that in the sun's greatest splendor 
the moon gains distinction by obscuring his rays, though it is 
true that the sun is all the more admired for the shadow that is 
thrown upon it, and, as Pope says — 



makes known 



Th' opposing body's grossness, not its own" — 

a fact which he does not seem to think of. In the preceding 
figure the signs of jealousy, scorn, contempt, and love of dis- 
tinction, are all large, together with a great deficiency of the sign 
of admiration. 

The faculty of Scorn is indicated by the small muscle which 
draws the integument of the chin upward toward the lip, causing 
in some persons a short transverse 
wrinkle between the lip and chin. 
This sign is very large in Crom- 
well, and in all persons who feel a 
disdainful pride and haughtiness ; 
and it is moderate in those who ex- 
hibit but a moderate degree of the 
faculty. 

The pouting of the under lip, or 
the position of the lip which gives 
something of that expression, indicates the faculty of Contempt. 
This is no artificial or conventional sign ; for when a child feels 
contempt, he expresses it by thrusting the lower lip forward. 
The faculty of contempt, as generally exercised, is another kind 
of pride, and is exhibited toward whatever is considered low and 
vulgar, as the faculty of scorn is exhibited toward whatever is 
considered weak and pusillanimous. 

The faculty of Love of Distinction is indicated by the long 
muscle passing from near the inner angle of the eye to the up- 
per lip, causing it, when the muscle is strong, to curl slightly 




74 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

upward. This is the ambition of being known, and of having 
one's thoughts before the public ; of being an author or a public 
speaker, or of taking a distinguished share in conversation ; and 
persons who exhibit this trait of character have the sign large. 
This faculty receives an additional stimulus from the faculty of 
jealousy, as before said, and in that case is brought into the ser- 
vice of mere ambition, and can be described by no better term 
than " the itch to see one's name in print." 

The faculty of Envy is the antagonist of love of distinction, 
and is indicated by muscular fibres which cause the lower lip to 
curl, not with scorn, as has a thousand times been said, but with 
envy. Persons very often express scorn with their tongues by 
way of disguising their true feeling, which is envy, and which 
rankles so strongly in their minds as to curl the lower lip at the 
same time that they are speaking scornfully, thus leading many 
persons to suppose that the language of the lip is the same as 
that of the tongue. No person who is envious wishes to be 
thought so, though envy is a no worse feeling than scorn ; and 
the reason of this is, that envy is opposed to the love of distinc- 
tion, or to the love of being known, and wishes either to conceal 
itself or to appear something else. Where there is a large sign 
of distinction there is a small sign of envy, and where there is a 
large sign of envy there is a small sign of distinction, with per- 
haps a very few exceptions. A person with large envy is envi- 
ous of one who gets a great name, who is distinguished, or who 
is very frequently mentioned — not because he himself wishes a 
great name, or desires to be distinguished or much talked about, 
but because he feels that his own qualities and accomplishments 
are obscured by the fame and celebrity of another, and that thus 
he is not sufficiently admired and appreciated. Thus we see 
that the feeling which we call envy acts in favor of justice ; and 
we may suppose that the other apparently discordant elements 
of the mind which are congregated about the mouth are impor- 
tant regulators of equality and right in the true order of society, 
though they are undoubtedly at present very much perverted, as 
are also all the other faculties of the mind. 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



75 




LETTER XI. 

A ruling faculty of very many minds is Self-Esteem. This 
is indicated by a short muscle which acts upon the upper lip, 
causing generally a fullness and stiffness in the middle, as in this 
outline. Egotism, bombast, a high opinion of 
one's own importance, the disposition to sound 
the trumpet of one's own praise, and to record 
the history of one's own virtues and exploits, 
are the most common manifestations of this fac- 
ulty. Self-esteem is the antagonist of scorn, and 
one who has it large can content himself with- 
out scorning others, and can outride the scorn 
of the world, or, in other words, " carry a stiff 
upper lip," however meanly others may think of him. It is not 
always true, however, that 

" What Nature has in worth denied, 
She makes in large recruits of needful pride ;" 

for many persons of great talents and worth have a large share 

of this weakness, and it may be sometimes neutralized by a strong 

faculty of humility. 

The faculty of Complacency is in- 
dicated by a long muscle which pas- 
ses from under the corner of the mouth 
to the arch of the cheek-bone, drawing 
the mouth upward toward the sign of 
affectation, as in this picture. In one 
who exercises affectation benevolent- 
ly, as in assuming a character of infe- 
rior dignity for the sake of putting a 
common person at his ease, the sign 

of which we are speaking is the smile of complacency ; in one 




76 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



who exercises affectation in assuming theatrical characters and 
characters superior to his own, it is a smile of self-complacency ; 
and in one who hypocritically assumes a character, and wears an 
air of wisdom or of goodness which does not belong to him, the 
sign of complacency is a hypocritical smile of good-nature, mer- 
ging into a smile of self-gratulation, and even of malignity, such as 
an evil demon wears when his wicked dissembling has worked 
the ruin of his victim. 

The faculty of Dissatisfaction is the antagonist of complacency, 
and is indicated by the drawing of the under Up backward and 
a little downward, as in this profile. Such a person will never 
" assume a virtue if he has it not" — 
not even for the ostensible purpose 
of cultivating it. He can be satisfied 
with nothing but what is real, and nev- 
er looks with the smile of complacen- 
cy on himself or on others ; but it is 
with art, not with Nature, that he feels 
dissatisfied. He is no patron of ac- 
tors, and it would be impossible for 
him to be anything but himself; and 
as this has always been the case with 
him, he is very much the child of 
Nature that he was when a child. 

The faculty of Cheerfulness is indicated by a muscle extend- 
ing from above the corner of the mouth to the cheek-bone, for- 
ward of the sign of complacency. This draws v the corner of the 
mouth upward with a little obliquity, and causes wrinkles curv- 
ing downward from the outer corner of the eye, producing the 
expression of serenity, cheerfulness, pleasure, joy, happiness, de- 
light, according to the natural strength of the faculty, or the 
degree to which it is excited. 

The faculty of Gloominess is indicated by the drawing down 
of the corners of the mouth somewhat obliquely, giving the ex- 
pression of sadness, gloom, ennui, melancholy, dejection, despair, 
according to the internal feeling. There is scarcely any one 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



77 




who needs to be told what the signs of cheerfulness and gloomi- 
ness are. 

The faculty of Ostentation is indicated in the lower lip by- 
two small perpendicular ridges near the centre, one on each side, 
as we see here. , This is that peculiar kind of pride which one 
feels on account of blood and 
ancestry, and which in a person 

of little discretion manifests itself jK£MfisSf&* m *i^) ^ 

in an ostentatious display of fam- 
ily titles or of family connexions, ^ 4 * • >-*~ 
or in the pride of aristocratic as- 
sociations and the familiar friend- 
ship of the great, together with an 
ostentatious carriage of the head, 
which has the appearance of the 
particular intention to exhibit the 
sign of this faculty. 

The Love of Eminence is the antagonist of ostentation, and is 
indicated by the muscle which elevates the wing of the nostril, 
sometimes causing wrinkles on the side of the nose. A person 
with this sign large is ambitious to elevate himself and to obtain 
eminence in his profession, whatever it be, and has very small 
esteem for those who exalt themselves on account of hereditary 
qualities and honorable ancestry. Hence he is likely to treat 
such ideas and such persons with a sneer, that being the expres- 
sion which the love of eminence produces when opposed to its 
opposite faculty and put in contrast with it. 

The faculty of Love of Influence is indicated by the thickness 
of the muscle over the sign of acquisitiveness. In persons of 
wealth this sign is to be observed much larger than in other 
people, and the reason of this is that the love of influence stim- 
ulates the acquisition of capital as the means of its own gratifi- 
cation. 

The Love of Command is indicated by a small muscle passing 
from the top of the nose to the skin of the forehead between the 
eyebrows, causing short transverse wrinkles over the root of the 




78 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

nose, a3 may be seen in great military commanders, in masters 
and teachers, and in parents who exercise good or bad govern- 
ment. In those who are wanting: in au- 
g|p N^ thority, or who are not " born to com- 

mand," as very few are, this sign is also 
wanting. The faculty of command acts 
frequently with that part of justice which 
reprimands, or requires others to do right, 
and both together produce that frowning 
and lowering brow which is so terrible to 
evil-doers, or to those who love to be ap- 
proved rather than condemned. 
The faculty of Approbation is indicated by the short muscle 
which lifts the upper lip and exposes the teeth. Approbation is 
always pleasant, whether one gives or receives it, and hence the 
sign of cheerfulness acts with the sign of approbation, though the 
sign of approbation does not always act with the sign of cheer- 
fulness. When a person approves another, he says, " I am glad 
to see you," and his smile expresses both approbation and pleas- 
ure. So, too, his mirthfulness is in proportion to what he ap- 
proves when he says, " That is capital wit," and claps his sides 
in token of approbation, as the dog attempts to strike his sides 
with his tail in token of the same feeling. The negro is as re- 
markable for the love of approbation as he is for showing his 
teeth. The faculty of approbation is a powerful element of hu- 
man nature, and one of the most active of the social feelings ; 
and its sign in the face is one of the most common and pleasant 
expressions. The desire to be approved and to approve others 
is the key to the primary social affections, or to the very first 
desire to live in society and under some form of government ; 
for who that had become a perfect misanthrope, or that felt there 
was no person in the world who could approve him, would wish 
to live in society? Hence it is that in proportion as a man is 
disapproved, he not only withdraws but is banished from society, 
and hence it is that persons who are so unfortunate as to imagine 
that the world is all bad, or that they are less esteemed by the 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 79 

world than they really are, become recluses and hermits. Such 
persons do not show the sign of approbation, and as they do not 
approve others nor wish to be approved themselves, they are 
seldom disturbed. Thus we see that the faculty of approbation 
is the key to the first social desires, and it may even be said that 
the sign of the former is the key to the signs of the latter, for it 
opens the door and introduces us to them, as we shall see in our 
next letter. 



80 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



LETTER XII. 

With most persons, such is the supremacy of the love of 
approving and of being approved, that in social converse, the 
upper lip frequently rises, and exposes the teeth, whether they 
be irregular, disorderly, black, tartared, and specked with decay, 
or not. Such persons are possessed of souls, and show them in 
their countenances; and it may be observed that there is gener- 
ally a large sign of approbation, in connexion with large signs 
of purity and magnanimity ; the reason of which is that mankind 
desire and expect to be approved for virtue and heroism, more 
than for justice and truth, or the exercise of any other of the 
social affections. But whether the teeth be good or bad, a per- 
son does not often expose them if he be deficient in approbation, 
and this is very much the case with the reckless, the impure, 
the dishonorable, the abandoned, and the outcast. A bad set 
of teeth must, however, exert an unsocial influence, for no per- 
son is perfectly willing to have them exposed, and it must be 
confessed that they exert a rather repelling, unsocial influence on 
those who witness them. On the other hand, the social ten- 
dency of a set of teeth well-proportioned, regular, and of a 
pearly whiteness, must be very great, for there is scarcely any 
part of physical beauty which is held in greater favor, or 
which is of more credit to the possessor. So important are 
the teeth in a physiognomical and moral point of view, that if 
we were not accustomed to see them more or less defective and 
discolored in nearly every person, we should look upon them, 
black, carious, and foetid, almost with horror, as we would look 
upon dead bones in a charnel-house. What a sad subterfuge it 
is, having one's teeth wrenched from one's jaws, with almost the 
force of dislocating a limb, and having artificial substitutes in 
their places ! ar>d yet this is far better than exhibiting a phalanx 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 81 

of teeth that have lost all their pristine beauty, and of which it 
may be said that " they are not what they were." 

But without animadverting further on bad teeth, let us in- 
quire what is the language of good ones. The first pair of 
upper incisors indicate the sentiment of Republicanism, or the 
love of society as it exists in a republic. The elements of re- 
publicanism are mediocrity and democracy, the first of which is 
indicated by the length of the first pair of upper incisors, and 
the second by their breadth. Those who desire to associate and 
mutually to govern themselves in very large societies, have these 
teeth large, and the same is the case with animals that are called 
gregarious. The sign of democracy, as a general rule, is largest 
in agriculturists, and laboring men whose employments are not 
properly trades or professions. In mechanics and professional 
men, as a class, the sign of mediocrity is largest. These two 
social faculties relate to these two classes of employments ; the 
first being the desire of artisans and professional men to associ- 
ate and hold conventions for their mutual interests and improve- 
ment, and for sympathy in their common objects ; and the 
second being the desire of agriculturists and the common la- 
boring classes, to congregate as on the occasion of great fairs 
and public exhibitions. The action of democracy and medioc- 
rity together, regards the mutual relation of both classes in their 
dependence on each other, and aims at the mutual government 
of the whole under a form of government that may properly be 
called republican. A man's surname is his inheritance, and in 
a republic the "highest gift of the people" maybe bestowed on 
a son-of-Jack, or on one bearing the name of a common trade ; 
but in a monarchy, Prince Jackson, or Lord Taylor, would 
sound strangely. 

The second pair of incisors indicates the sentiment of Filial 
Affection. Their length indicates the love of father, and their 
breadth the love of mother. This sign is not only great in those 
who are very affectionate and dutiful to their natural parents, but 
indicates also the disposition to look on old people with filial 
feeling, and to call them father and mother, when the degree of 

6 



82 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

familiarity will allow it. The existence and government of iso- 
lated families, which are so important in the social economy, de- 
pend on this faculty, as the civil government is founded on the 
faculty of republicanism. As filial affection recognises absolute 
authority in the parent, and as it is exercised toward persons of 
a patriarchal character, and such as are considered wise and ca- 
pable of instructing and guiding, those who have it very strong 
are more easily than others induced to adopt fathers spiritual and 
temporal, and to yield implicitly, like mere children, to their 
teachings and authority. This leads directly to ecclesiastical 
power, and to unlimited monarchy, which exclude and take the 
place of that mutual self-government which is the legitimate 
result of the faculty of republicanism. The sign of the latter 
faculty is large in the American people, and not so large in the 
upholders of monarchy ; while the sign of filial love is large in 
monarchists, and not so large in republicans. There is the 
same difference also between catholics and protestants. 

The upper canine teeth, or eye-teeth, as they are familiarly 
called, indicate the love of possession and the love of change. 
These constitute the sentiment of Individual Rights. The first 
is indicated by the length, and the latter by the breadth of the 
upper canines. One who has these teeth long, has great love 
of property, or of possessions, as houses, lands, cattle, or any- 
thing that may be regarded as goods and chattels. This faculty 
is not the disposition to acquire, though it acts in connexion 
with that faculty, but it has relation to the possession of what is 
gained, or to what is one's own. The faculty of love of change, 
is the disposition to bargain and transfer and exchange one spe- 
cies of property for another, to change one's residence or busi- 
ness, to part with the old for the sake of the new, and again to 
adopt the old. It gives the individual great mobility and rest- 
lessness, and manifests itself in revolutions, in frequent change 
of fashion, and the adoption of novelties, and innovations, as 
well as in business exchanges. Its connexion with the love of 
possession is very obvious, and the sense of man's right to do 
what he will with his own, is dependent on it. It is large in the 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 83 

mercurial Frenchman and the traffic-loving Jew, not less than 
in the speculating Yankee, who, that his restlessness may not 
seem like too great anxiety, whittles a stick while he is carrying 
on his trade. In this latter character, it may be observed, also, 
that there are large signs of affectation and complacency. The 
lower animals which have the upper canine teeth large, seem to 
have a strong sense of what belongs to them, and will not relin- 
quish it except for what they seem to regard as an equivalent ; 
and they exhibit physical restlessness or change of place, in an 
extraordinary degree. The lion, tiger, wolf, &c, in their cages, 
where all parts of their bodies seem to be in motion, are exam- 
ples ; and the elephant, that has such an exceedingly long and 
large upper canine tooth, is a still more wonderful instance of 
the manifestation of these faculties. 

Thus, we see that the upper front teeth, which are exposed 
by the strong action of approbation, indicate the three social el- 
ements which correspond to the civil, family, and business rela- 
tions of mankind, and which relate to civil government, family 
government, and individual rights. 



84 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



LETTER XIII. 

Only the edge of the lower front teeth is generally seen, and 
by this their breadth, which indicates other social faculties. The 
lower canine teeth indicate the faculties of Love of Triumph and 
Love of Reform : their length indicating the former, and their 
breadth the latter. The most complete triumph is gained by 
the destruction of the object, and this faculty in its animal mani- 
festation may be called destructiveness ; but in its higher mani- 
festation it leads to the conquering of difficulties and the conquest 
of one's passions. Its sign is large in those who are subject to 
violent anger, but it is large also in those who subdue a harsh 
temper, and other evil passions, when it is combined with high 
moral qualities. In warriors, duellists, murderers, cannibals, and 
carnivorous beasts, the sign is large. 

The breadth of the lower canines, which indicates the love of 
reform, is great in those who are disposed to inflict chastisements, 
and also in those who are disposed -to use "line upon line" in a 
moral sense, the former being the perverted and the latter the le- 
gitimate action of this faculty. The sign is very great in the car- 
nivorous animals, and indicates in them cruelty, or the disposi- 
tion to tear, and rend, and inflict corporeal suffering ; and we 
should expect to v find it large in the Russians and the Chinese, 
as we do in those who practise corporeal correction or reform in 
schools and families, and in those who advocate capital punish- 
ment. It is the same faculty which prompts the cat to box the 
ear of her kitten and which leads the mother to do so by her 
child, and it is indicated in both instances by the same sign. 
This boxing the ear is rather the instinct to correct the heedless- 
ness or stupidity of a child, than to correct his morals ; for the 
ear indicates the susceptibility of improvement, as we have be- 
fore seen. The instinct of a dog to punish the ear of a stupid 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 85 

swine, that seems to blunder into mischief from the impetuosity 
of his appetite, is from the same cause. 

The second pair of lower incisors indicates the Love of Im- 
provement and the Love of Brothers and Sisters : their length in- 
dicating the former, and their breadth the latter. Some persons 
have a great deal of the disposition to improve, without very- 
much of the susceptibility of improvement. Such persons have 
the second pair of lower incisors long ; and, other things being 
equal, will improve as much or more than those who have great 
susceptibility of improvement with less desire for it. Some per- 
sons, again, have very strong fraternal affection, and experience 
a strong fraternal feeling for their friends and associates, and for 
the whole human family. These have a large sign of fraternal 
love, or considerable breadth of the second pair of lower inci- 
sors ; and if the sign of love of concert be equally large, they 
like to form fraternities, and to join societies, either secular or 
religious, where they may with propriety address each other as 
brethren and sisters. Mutual improvement is a grand end of 
the exercise of fraternal love, and hence these two faculties and 
their signs are so closely united. 

The first pair of lower incisors indicates the faculties of Love 
of Solitude, and the Love of the Society of a Few: the former 
being indicated by their length, and the latter by their breadth. 
One who has these teeth long has a great feeling of his own in- 
dividuality, or what may be called selfhood. He likes to be 
alone a great deal, and is not so dependent as others on social 
intercourse for contentment and happiness, for he is society for 
himself. The sign of this faculty is generally large in connexion 
with a large sign of love of improvement, and in that case it in- 
dicates the solitary student, one who prefers the communion of 
his own thoughts and of books to the society of others. But, if 
it be large with a small sign of love of improvement, as it is in 
the hog, it indicates great love of oneself; and if the signs of be- 
nevolence, kindness, and the desire to love, be small, it indicates 
selfishness, and that general trait of character which is attached 
to the name of swine, and which is sometimes ascribed to human 



86 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



beings. An unusual breadth of the first pair of lower incisors is 
characteristic of those who are very fond of the society of a 
choice few, who, like themselves, are very exclusive. The sign 
is large in the hog, and very large in the rabbit, animals which 
are usually seen in pairs or in little groups of three or four ; and 
it is large also in those who disincline to mingle with the " vul- 
gar herd," and who are therefore called aristocratic. 

It should be observed that in most ruminating animals all the 
front teeth are in the lower jaw, there being none in the upper ; 
and that the lower animals generally have one more pair of inci- 
sors for each jaw than man. The third incisor of animals corre- 
sponds to the second in man ; and the second incisor of animals 
indicates in the lower jaw the Love of Male and Female Off- 
spring, and in the upper jaw the Love of Shelter and Relaxation, 

In man, the love of shelter and relaxation is indicated by the 
concavity of the upper lip just below the septum of the nose, as 
seen in this engraving. The depth of this concavity indicates 
the instinct to find or to con- 
struct a place of shelter or habi- 
tation, a cottage, an excavation ■ ; ' Sfl^vX^J ^ 
in a rock, a cave, or a pile of 
materials that may be called a 
mansion. It is large in builders 
and in those who are particular- 
ly fond of making plans for dwel- 
lings. The breadth of the con- 
cavity in the upper lip indicates 
the love of relaxation, or, in other 
words, the love of supineness, the most perfect relaxation being 
obtained by lying on the back. This is different from the facul- 
ties of repose and slumber, the proper position in sleep being the 
side, and not the back, which latter position induces incubus. 
Those who have the sign of relaxation large are fond of stretch- 
ing themselves supinely under the shelter of a tree (which is said 
to be the best habitation a Polynesian can afford), and are not 
less partial to grottoes, alcoves, booths, porticoes, and more com- 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



87 




fortable lodgings. This sign is large in connexion with the love 
of shadow, and is more remarkable in woman than in man. 
The faculty of Parental Love is indicated by two small dim- 
ples at the lower part of the under 
lip near the middle line. The ex- 
istence of this sign always indicates 
a strong degree of the faculty. But 
there is another sign of parental love 
which is more observable. The ele- 
vation of the brow by the muscular 
fibres between the signs of benevo- 
lence and hope on one side, and be- 
tween the signs of kindness and en- 
thusiasm on the other, as seen in this 
engraving, is another index of parental love. The elevation on 
the left side, between kindness and enthusiasm, indicates the 
Love of Daughters ; and the elevation on the right side, between 
benevolence and hope, indicates the Love of Sons. The love 
of children is parental, whether it be exercised toward one's own 
offspring or not. 

The faculties of Love of Triumph and Love of Reform are in- 
dicated not only by the lower canine teeth, but also by the mus- 
cular fibres and elevation of the brow 
above the outer extremity of the ridge 
of the eyebrow, as in this figure. The 
elevation on the right side, above the 
sign of immortality, which is the upturn- 
ing of the hairs of the eyebrow at the 
outer extremity, indicates the love of 
triumph ; and the elevation above the 
sign of belief, which is the upturning 
of the hairs of the eyebrow at the outer 
extremity on the left side, indicates the 
love of reform, as in the two following 
figures. The faculty of triumph acts in 
connexion with the faculty of immortality, especially in the hour 




88 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 





of death ; and the faculty of reform acts in connexion with belief 

for unless a man 
believes the 
truth, he is not 
reformed by it. 
It is impor- 
tant in observing 
character, not to 
mistake the signs 
of parental love, 
love of triumph, 
and love of re- 
form, for the signs of charity, enthusi- 
asm, and hope, although the former in the brow indicate gener- 
ally the higher action of those faculties. They are not always, 
however, in proportion to the signs of the more social and reli- 
gious faculties, and in that case they give to the brow an air of 
selfish philoprogenitiveness, and of proud triumph and unfeeling 
cruelty. But the most important distinction to make in the brow 
is between the signs of charity and exclusiveness in the centre 
of the forehead ; also between the signs of hope and fraternal 
love, over the centre of the eyebrow, on the right side ; and be- 
tween the signs of enthusiasm and love of improvement, over the 
centre of the eyebrow, on the left side. 

This distinction we will now explain. The faculty of exclu- 
siveness, or the love of solitude and of the society of a few, is 
indicated not only by the first pair of lower incisors, but also by 
muscular fibres at the back of the head, which, by their connex- 
ion with the scalp and frontal muscle, elevate the brow in the 
same place with the signs of benevolence and kindness. Ex- 
clusiveness causes an elevation of the brow, without horizontal 
wrinkles, and produces the well-known expression of supercili- 
ousness, as in the following figure. This is not likely to be mis- 
taken for the signs of benevolence and kindness ; but it is not 
unfrequently large in connexion with these, in which case the 
brow is horizontally wrinkled and very greatly elevated, as in 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



89 




the second figure on this page ; and the person is very retired 
and select in his society, and no 
less kind and benevolent to the 
common people. The sign of ex- 
clusiveness does not wrinkle the 
brow, but must necessarily wrinkle 
the skin at the back of the head ; 
and this it is which causes the erec- 
tion of the feathers on the head of 
the hoopoe, blue-jay, king-fisher, 
king-bird, harpy eagle, and other 
proud, supercilious birds — giving 
them an air of separateness and of 
aristocratic self-importance, such as 

a crown, diadem, or cockade, lends to the head of a human 
being. 

The faculties of fraternal love and 
love of improvement are indicated not 
only by the second pair of lower inci- 
sors, but also by the elevation of the 
brow without horizontal wrinkles over 
the middle of the eyebrow ; the first in 
the place of hope on the right side, and 
the latter in the place of enthusiasm on 
the left. This, as well as the sign of 
exclusiveness, is caused by muscular 
fibres at the back of the head, which 
are attached by a tendonous membrane 
to the scalp and muscular fibres of the 
forehead. When hope and enthusiasm are large in connexion 
with strong fraternal love and love of improvement, the brow is 
not only greatly elevated, but is wrinkled horizontally ; and be- 
ing acted upon by two faculties instead of one, it is more raised 
than by the action of either one separately, which is the case in 
the following example. There is an elevation of the head-feath- 
ers of a cockatoo when by his actions he seems teachable and 





90 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

affectionate, and this is caused by the muscular fibres which in- 
dicate love of improvement and frater- 
nal love. 

The combined action of all the fac- 
ulties concerned in elevating the brow- 
is seen in the figure illustrating the fac- 
ulty of friendship, on page 70. 

We will now return to the signs of 
character in the teeth, and finish what 
we have to say on that subject. In 
most persons the lower canine teeth 
stand a little out from the line of the 
other teeth. This indicates the Love of Overcoming. The love 
of triumph regards the end, but the love of overcoming regards 
the adaptation of means to the end, and should be always large 
in connexion with the former faculty. One who has a large sign 
of the love of overcoming, does not shrink from the contempla- 
tion of obstacles in his way, but looks at the worst in anticipa- 
tion of meeting and overcoming it. He loves to take the slow 
and sure method of accomplishing his end, and scorns to arrive 
at it by overleaping or by despatching the difficulties with a sin- 
gle blow, when the legitimate method is one of labor and patience. 
One who has very large triumph and small overcoming, is, on 
the contrary, disposed to make short work of accomplishing his 
end, and to despatch the difficulty or his enemy, as the case may 
be, at a single blow. He is cowardly, and, if compelled to meet 
a foe, is destructive ; while the individual with large love of over- 
coming is courageous, and more inclined to disarm and conquer 
his enemy by peaceable means. The sign of this faculty is large 
in all the carnivorous animals, and particularly large in the most 
noble of them, as the mastiff and the lion. The sign of magna- 
nimity is almost always large in connexion with it. When the 
lower canine tooth stands out much from the line of the other 
teeth, the part of the under lip which lies over it is pressed out- 
ward and appears full, as in the portraits of General Washington, 
which also show a very large sign of magnanimity. 



IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



91 




The Love of Animal Food contributes somewhat to the dis- 
position to take life, or to the lower manifestation of the love of 
triumph, and hence the sign of the latter faculty is naturally large 
in flesh-eaters. The love of animal substances is, however, in- 
dicated by the anterio-posterior diameter of the grinder teeth in 
the upper jaw ; while the love of vegetable food is indicated by 

the anterio-posterior diameter of the 
grinder teeth in the lower jaw. The 
first of these figures represents an in- 
dividual who is naturally partial to 
animal food, and who likes to spread 
his table with a choice variety of flesh, 
fish, and fowl, and decanters of wine. 
The second represents a person who 
is naturally partial to vegetable food, 
and who likes to furnish his table with 
a bountiful supply of herbs and fruits, 
together with a flow of crystal water, or decoctions of tea and 
coffee. Such a person as that represented on page 71, as an 
illustration of the sign of hospitality, is 
equally fond of animal and vegetable 
food. In the carnivorous animals the 
sign of the love of animal substances 
is largest, as seen in the projection of 
the upper jaw, forward of the lower ; 
and in the vegetable eaters the reverse 
is true, as seen in the sheep, goat, cow, 
&c. The difference would be greater 
still if, in the flesh-eating animals, one 
of the large molars in the upper jaw 
were not set transversely, thus preventing the upper jaw from 
being projected far beyond the lower one. In the carnivorous 
birds, however, the upper mandible is very much longer than 
the lower, there not being the same necessity as in the carnivor- 
ous beasts for the apposition of the two jaws. 




92 



OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 



LETTER XIV. 



Last but not least in our outline of Physiognomy are the lips 
These are expressive of character in their relative proportions 
and the form they give to the mouth, as well as in the position 
and motions which they acquire from the action of the muscles. 
Well-developed lips are indicative of certain mental faculties 
which are very necessary to the strong and vigorous action of 
the other faculties ; and the reason why they are sometimes sup- 
posed to indicate weakness is, that they are not unfrequently con- 
nected with a disproportionate shortness of the nose, as in the 
example on page 20, or with a disproportionate shortness of the 
whole face, causing them to project, as in the face of the negro. 
The length of the lips in these cases is no mark of deficient 
mental power, but contrariwise. 

In some persons we see the lip 
coming down to a point in the 
centre, as in this profile. This 
indicates the faculty of Concen- 
tration, or the tendency to observe 
minutely ; but as this faculty cau- 
ses the length of the lip at this 
place, the sign may be large, al- 
though there may not be the rel- 
ative shortness on each side of it 
which causes it to appear sepa- 
rate and distinct. 
In some persons, again, we see a descent of the lip about mid- 
way between the sign of concentration and the angle of the mouth, 
at the place pointed out in the first figure on the following page. 
This indicates the faculty of Application, or the power of apply- 
ing the mind to the solution of problems, or to anything requiring 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



93 




long labor and patient study. It is generally large in artists, who 
exercise application physically as well as mentally ; and it is large 
in the negro, who is adapted to long and patient labors. 

The signs of application and concentration, when relatively 

large, form what is 
called a Cupid's bow; 
but this form of the 
mouth depends part- 
ly on the signs of two 
other faculties which 
have their place in 
the under lip. The 
first is the length and 
projection of the un- 
der lip on either side 
of the centre, and op- 
posite the depression 
in the upper lip each 
side of concentration, as in the following figure. This indicates 
the Love of Home. The second sign is the length of the under 

lip at the angle of the mouth, 
as in this figure also. This in- 
dicates Ph ilanthropy. The form 
of mouth in which is seen a pre- 
dominance of these four signs 
of character, is most common 
and most appropriate to the fe- 
male face, as the faculties which 
they indicate are most common 
and most appropriate to the fe- 
male character. Concentration, 
or the disposition and ability to attend to the minute and sepa- 
rate duties of domestic life ; application, or the disposition and 
ability to exercise patience in the acquisition of knowledge and 
the accomplishment of any duty ; love of home, which makes the 
poorest cottage a charmed spot where woman's nature luxuriates 




94 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES 

in its richest perfection ; philanthropy, or the love of human be- 
ings of every country and of every condition — these, to most 
men, are the Cupid's bow which they see expressed in the lips 
of women. 

An oblique fullness over the angle of the mouth, as in the pre- 
ceding figure, indicates the faculty of Clearness, or the power of 
perceiving and expressing truth clearly. 

A manly form of mouth is more straight than curved, as we 
see in the portraits of Sir Walter Scott, Silliman, Allston, Webster, 
Washington, Clay, and others too numerous to mention. The 
reason of this is, that the faculties which give that form to the 
mouth are stronger in man than in woman. The first of these is 
the length of the upper lip on each side of the sign of concentra- 
tion and between that and the sign of application. This indicates 
C.omprehe?isiveness, or the ability of the mind to take in a large 
field at once, so as to contemplate objects in their relations to 
each other. The second of these signs is the length of the up- 
per lip over the upper canine tooth, as seen in this engraving, 
which shows also the sign of 
the former faculty large. This 
indicates the faculty of Gravity, 
or the disposition and power to 
maintain gravity of mind and 
deportment, so that the individ- 
ual feels little disposition to laugh 
or smile, and can easily restrain 
either. 

A perpendicular fullness ter- 
minating the angle of the mouth, 
as seen in this engraving, indi- 
cates the faculty of Precision, which manifests itself in great pre- 
ciseness, or a kind of formality of manner, and in great correct- 
ness of speech as well as behavior. It is cultivated very much 
by grammarians, school-teachers, and governesses, and disposes 
a person to criticism and severity toward others. 

The third sign is the length and prominence of the under lip 

3477-291 
Lot-S 




IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 



95 




in the middle, opposite the sign of concentration, as in this fig- 
ure and in the next. This indicates the 
faculty of Love of Travel, or of peregrina- 
ting. The fourth sign is the length of the 
under lip over the second lower incisor, 
and opposite the sign of application, as in 
the two figures on this page. This indi- 
cates the faculty of Patriotism. One who 
has it large will feel that — 

" Of all the countries, east or west, 
He loves his native land the hest," 

and it is well if it does not act against his feeling of philanthropy. 
In the face of Washington we see very large philanthropy and 
patriotism combined, besides large comprehensiveness and love 
of travel, feelings which are easily seen to be particularly appro- 
priate to the male character, as their expressions are to the face. 
A fullness of the under lip, extending from the angle of the 
mouth obliquely, and occupying the concavity between the lip 
and chin, as in this figure, indicates the quality of Bitterness* 

One who has it very large is often 
the victim of his own gall, and is 
bitter in spirit and language tow- 
ard those who disagree with him ; 
and he is petulant and fault-find- 
ing. A fullness below and a little 

r-^* ^^{j^i^w" wSr k a °k °f l ^ e an s^ e °f tne m ° utn > 

indicates the faculty of Excursive- 
ness, or the power of mind to re- 
fresh itself in any intellectual or 
scientific pursuit, instead of feeling 
fatigue. It is large in poets and in those who " make a pastime 
of each weary step," whatever the employment may be. 

A fullness of the cheek over the sign of fond love, as seen in 
the second cut on page 29, indicates the faculty of Buoyancy, 
or the upward-springing of the mind, and its ability to soar and 
touch on themes sublime. It is large in Milton and very many 






96 OUTLINES OF DISCOVERIES IN PHYSIOGNOMY. 

divines, and in some astronomers. Nature provides that this fac- 
ulty should increase with old age, so that man may be able to 
support the weight of declining years and the countless infirmi- 
ties that are laid on him ; and hence it is very commonly large in 
old people, many of whom are remarkable for buoyancy of spirits ; 
and we know how becoming a light heart is to an old person. 

You may possibly imagine that we have already embraced more 
than an outline of Physiognomy, but we have rather come short 
of it. There is one more faculty which we must mention before 
concluding, and that is the faculty of Caution, which we would 
recommend the reader to exercise before coming to a conclusion, 
either in respect to our observations or those of any one else. 
Some things, from the brevity we have been obliged to use, may 
seem to have been advanced dogmatically; but we assure the 
reader that the conclusions we have come to are the results of 
careful observations, and that we are no more willing than he is 
to believe anything that is capable of being disproved. But now 
that we have advised to the exercise of caution, we must mention 
what we suppose to be the sign of that faculty. It is the distance 
between the angle of the lower jaw on one side and that on the 
other. One who has it large will be often troubled with indecis- 
ion, and liable to let pass the favorable time for action, but he will 
also avoid the consequences of too great precipitancy and credu- 
lity. He will not spoil what he undertakes by rashness or care- 
lessness, but will take such pains that everything he does will be 
done well, and everything from his hands will be a finished work. 
If these signs are true, they must, of course, be susceptible of 
practical application, and be correct interpreters of character when 
properly applied. But the use of Physiognomy is not so much 
a knowledge of the faults of others as a knowledge of our own, 
and not so much a knowledge of our own virtues as a knowledge 
of those of others : that thus, knowing our faults, we may correct 
them, and knowing the virtues of others, we may imitate them> 

THE END. 










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